Crowley's Apprentice- Stories from Araluen
by Crowley's Apprentice
Summary: Includes characters from the original books, in addition to a young girl with a secret- she is the crown princess of Aridia. After running away from the uptight life as a royal, she went to live with the wards of Castle Redmont. Eager to prove herself, she asks to become a horsemaster, but fate leads her elsewhere. Will she succeed in her new path?
1. Choosing Day

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hi everyone! This is my first try at fanfiction, so please read and review! I will try to upload new chapters often, so tell me what you think! Also, if you have something from the ranger world that you want me include (eg, getting a new horse [which will be in the next chapter!]) tell me, and I might write a chapter around the idea! Thanks guys! You're awesome!

* * *

It was Choosing Day for the wards of Redmont. The feeling of nerves was evident as Will, Jenny, Alyss, George, Horace, and Hannah made their way up to the castle with Martin, the secretary. Hannah couldn't help but be nervous- now 16, she had come to Redmont a few years back. Unlike the other wards, however, she was not Araluen, but was an Aridian royal, Selethen's daughter and the crown princess. Baron Arald, however, did not know this, nor did anyone else. She knew that her father was bound to be looking for her, and was afraid that if she told, she would be sent back to her old life at the palace. For now, however, her mind was elsewhere; the same place as everyone else's'. As the wards entered the baron's office, she looked around, thinking fast. Her thoughts drifted to Ulf, the gigantic horsemaster for Redmont. As a desert woman, she was an excellent rider, and had experience breaking and training horses. Furthermore, animals trusted her, and she valued the bonds that she formed with them. She had not had the opportunity to truly ride since she had left, and hoped that this would grant it to her. Her only worry was that, as a slim girl standing five foot five, Ulf would overlook her as too small.

Martin's call to line up by height shook her out of her reverie. Horace, of course was first, a good two inches taller than the rest of them. Then was Hannah, closely followed by graceful Alyss. Jenny should have been next, but, knowing how sensitive Will was about his height,she let him in line first.  
"What are you doing? The girl is first!"

"Of course Martin would say that," Hannah thought. Though not unkind by nature, Martin had always struck her as oblivious and in love with attention.

Thankfully, Baron Arald, a large man (and very fond of food!) and master knight, chose that moment to enter the office.

"That won't be necessary, Martin. If you could ask the craftmasters to enter please," the baron scolded gently.

"Yes, of course. Sir!" Martin replied enthusiastically, with a comical attempt to click the heels of his soft leather shoes. It was all they could do not to laugh. Martin turned and strode toward the door.

"Oh, and Martin? Don't yell at them, craftmasters don't like that." After nodding his approval, Martin let them in, speaking in a noticeably quieter voice. In came Sir Rodney, head of battleschool, Lady Pauline, diplomat, Ulf, horsemaster, Nigel, head scribe, Master Chubbs, the castle chef, and through a door behind the Baron's desk, the Ranger Halt. Hannah nodded at him politely, and noticed with some surprise that the other wards, too focused on the other adults, hadn't noticed his arrival. Halt, although he didn't show any outward signs of it, was shocked she had taken notice of him, and his curiosity sparked, he inclined his head, very slightly, in response.

Martin was speaking again,and in response to his order, Horace stepped forward, introduced himself, and requested to be apprenticed to Sir Rodney, as a knight. Realizing that her turn was next, Hannah took a deep breath.

"Well then, next in line! Let's have you!" crowed the soft-shod rooster. For, in his desperate effort to look important, Martin did resemble a large bantam rooster. Not that anyone would actually tell him that.

"Hannah Berrigan, sir," she said to the baron, using her assumed name. Turning to the line of craftmasters, she spoke again. "I would like to be apprenticed to Ulf as a horse trainer." Now, the moment of truth. Ulf, incredulous, looked at her.

"The battle horses are very large. Are you sure you can handle them?"

"Yes! Umm, sir. Yes, sir," she said, hurriedly, terrified.

"Hmmm… You ride?"

"Yes, sir. I learned as a child."

"Hmmm… I should like to see before I make a decision."

Halt, curious once more, cut in, startling most of the room."Meet us outside after the ceremony. You can demonstrate on my horse." Ulf nodded. Hannah looked relieved, and, murmuring her thanks, stepped back into line.

The rest of the ceremony passed in a blur of nerves. While the other apprentices went through the choosing, she ran through all of the riding tips she had ever been given. Don't show fear. Make friends with the horse. Keep your seat, but be flexible in your motion. Use a light touch on the reins. As Alyss was approved a a diplomat, (to no one's surprise) Jenny became a chef, George was accepted into the "rough and tumble of scribe school", and Will was… Something. Seeing the end of the ceremony approaching, she was completely intent on her upcoming assessment, and payed no attention to Will's assignment. Finally, it was over, and the wards exited.

* * *

Hannah met Halt, Ulf, and Arald in the castle yard, as she had promised. Halt was leading a shaggy grey pony. Most people would have dismissed it, but Hannah knew better. She noticed the grey's confident, measured stride, it's perfect conformation, and the obvious intelligence in it's eyes. She knew not to let this horse off lightly, even though it was far different from the tall, graceful, and spirited horses wandering the Aridian desert in herds.

She carefully walked over to the pair, and addressed Halt."Is there anything I should know before I mount? And what is his name?" She liked to know about the horse before she rode it. It helped her to develop the positive relationship that was so crucial to the horse's training.

"This is Abelard," and seeing her slightly puzzled expression, added, "It's Gallic. And he tends to a bit jumpy with new riders." At this, the baron had to hide his chuckle. Confused, Hannah took the reins that were offered to her, and asked to mount. "If you think that's a good idea!" was Halt's gleeful response. Hannah moved to the horse's side and surprised them all. Gently easing up on the girth, she unsaddled the Ranger's horse, carefully placing the tack on a tree stump, well out of the way. She prefered to be in contact with her horse, especially if she was riding them for the first time. Then, speaking softly to the horse, she moved to his near side, or the left, and gently swung onto his back. Halt noted with approval that she allowed her weight to settle gently, not landing like a sack of potatoes like most riders. He was even more pleased when he noted that, despite her relaxed position, her eyes were alert, waiting. She was not going to be caught by surprise. He also noted that she hadn't once seemed to discount Abelard because of his size. She knew a thing or two, he decided. Baron Arald and Ulf were still confused about her taking the saddle off.

Gently, Hannah tapped the horse's barrel with her heels. And he promptly rocketed to the side, twisting. Hannah sat this easily, stroking his neck reassuredly. Halt smiled. She hadn't pulled back on his mouth like most riders. And she was still on. The little horse continued to dance around, bucking, kicking, rearing. Halt watched with growing disbelief as she kept her seat. He knew firsthand the power of a ranger horse's efforts. When he rode one for the first time, he lasted barely 30 seconds. A quick glance at Arald gave him an answer to his unspoken question.

"Five minutes," the baron mouthed. Halt didn't doubt it. Ulf, for his part, was watching in open mouthed disbelief. The little horse could _move_! He doubted a battlehorse could unseat her, not if this little dynamo couldn't. No wonder she said she could ride. If only his apprentices had half her skill, they would be known throughout the kingdom. The girl was a natural. That much was obvious.

" Whoa, boy. Calmit down." "Halt, I've done everything I-" the horse gave a giant buck, "know to calm him down, and he isn't tiring at all. I don-" she drew her breath as Abelard transitioned from a rear to a twisting, sideways buck, "I don't know what to do from here. How do you get him to trust you?"

Halt nodded silently, pleased that she recognized the problem was with trust, not training. Although, he thought dryly, it was in his training to distrust her. He whistled sharply, then called his horse's name. The grey immediately quieted, and Halt motioned at her to dismount. Hannah did so gratefully, though, Halt was surprised to see, calmly and deliberately. She gave no sign to the horse that he had won this battle. Very good.

"So that's all you do? Whistle to him?" she asked incredulously, handing the reins back to the horse's owner and moving to retack him.

"Not quite, there is more to it than that." Halt saw Ulf open his mouth, and seeing his chance being lost, quickly said, "Go find the best horse that you can, and bring it to Crowley, the Ranger of Araluen. Any of the locals near Castle Araluen will know where to find him."

Confused but eager to comply, Hannah nodded, sensing an important purpose behind this strange request. Ulf scowled at Halt for "stealing" his apprentice, and turned on his heel to go back to his quarters. Baron Arald motioned for Halt to follow him.

* * *

Back in the Baron's personal study, he and Halt were talking about what they had seen. Arald was in awe, stating again and again the amazing skill she possessed as a horseman. He asked Halt what he had done sending her away, saying that she would have been a brilliant horse trainer.

"I want to see what she thinks is a good horse," Halt replied. "I see potential for her to be a Ranger, but as you know, I would like to take on Will. That is why I am sending her to Crowley with the horse. I want him to see her skill, and the horse she chooses. From what I have seen, it will be very good indeed."

* * *

 _Dear Crowley,_

 _I know you are kept busy with running the corps, but I hope you may make an exception to your avoiding of apprentices. This year's castle wards seen to show great potential as Rangers. I will be taking on Will, but have noticed the natural horsemanship abilities of another girl, Hannah. I have sent her to find the best horse she can, and report to your cabin by Harvest Day. I know that this is unprecedented, but hope you will see what I have. Write back with a description of the horse please, I am eager._

 _Halt_


	2. Inspection

**Appraisal Day**

AUTHOR'S NOTE: sorry to depart from canon, I know that Crowley lives in the castle. But things are just so much better this way... And I write what comes into my head, if I spend a long time planning it nothing comes out good... So yeah... I'll try not to change any of the more "important" details!

* * *

As she trotted her cremello mare through Araluen, Hannah was aware of the stares from the locals. They weren't accustomed to seeing a golden Aridian mount confidently striding through the streets. The fact that her rider was Araluen in appearance added to their confusion. Hannah was riding tackless, steering only with her knees. On her back was a simple pack that carried all she owned; some clothes, paper, pen, and ink for drawing, and a small box of familiar Aridian spices, each in its own vial. Every now and then, she would add them to her food as a treat.

When Halt had said to find the best horse she could, her thoughts immediately went to the herd of wild cremello horses that wandered through her homeland. They shimmered in the sunlight, and their coat was a lovely golden shade. Even better, however, was the fact that they could run all day, never tiring. These horses were built for speed, and, while delicate in appearance, possessed a great strength of mind and muscle. In Aridia, they were considered the "desert gold", and only the royal family was allowed to touch them. Also, the secret of their existence was jealously guarded, and few foreigners knew of the glimmering herd.

Realizing that she was nearing Castle Araluen, Hannah called out to a nearby farmboy. He looked about her age, with short brown hair and piercing hazel eyes.

"Morning sir! Do you know where I might find the Ranger Crowley's cottage?" she called.

" 'Bout a hundred feet ahead on the right you'll find a path. Follow that. And watch your footing!" came the reply.

"Many thanks! Good day to you!"

"Good day!"

* * *

After a thirty minute ride down the side road, Hannah came to a small cottage, clean and well cared for, though small and simple. A small nicker from the stable announced her arrival to anyone in the house. She assumed this was Crowley's home. From what she had seen in Redmont, it seemed in keeping with the Ranger ways. Dismounting, she made her way to the door. Tentatively, she knocked, and, a few seconds later, was met by a short, red haired man wearing Ranger clothing- simple, practical, and comfortable. How different from the frivolous gowns she grew up with! And how excited she was to have left all that behind. Finally, it seemed that she was being given a chance to prove herself, to do something that wasn't mandatory. As the eldest child of Selethen, she had been expected to carry on the royal legacy. From an early age, she had began training. When in a ball, speak cordially and graciously. Don't refuse an offer to dance, don't show favoritism. Etc etc etc. It was all very tiring, really. Crowley's next words brought her back to the current reality.

"Are you Hannah Berrigan? Halt told me to expect you! And your horse. Is he with you?" Hannah was surprised. She had assumed that all rangers were like Halt, taciturn and grim. Crowley's excitement and warm welcome proved otherwise.

"Yes, that is my name. And yes, I brought a horse."

"I should like to see her! I've been told you are a very good rider." he paused a second, "Why so surprised?"

"I think you are expecting too much… I have heard about the rangers, I may be good but I certainly can't hit a bullseye while mounting, or anything like that!" Crowley dissolved into a fit of helpless mirth.

"Oh… oh! You've heard the rumors! Oh, haha, oh my, I don't think anyone can do that… Oh, my…" he paused to regain his composure, while Hannah looked on, confused. "Well, here's a life lesson for you- people have a tendency to blow things out of proportion, especially if they know nothing about them. Don't pay much attention to it!"

"OK, I understand." And she did. Her 10 foot tall father could breathe flames if he was angry. And if you didn't know him. " I haven't heard much, being raised in the ward, so I guess I have a tendency to take the little I know as fact." Of course, growing up in Aridia had something to do with that ignorance too… But Crowley didn't need to know that. Likeable though he seemed, he reported to the king, who would undoubtedly feel the need to inform Selethen of her whereabouts, lest he be blamed for kidnapping her.

"Yes, I'm sure that didn't help," he smiled. "Now, I do want to see your horse!"

"Of course, she is right back here." Hannah led him to where she had left her mare, standing, untied. She hadn't moved. "This is Aridiamaia (pronounced air-ri-dim-my-ah). I believe it means desert sunrise."

Crowley walked around, surveying the animal. He nodded. "Very beautiful. And well put together. You won't be having any problems with injuries. How is her stamina?"

"She'll canter all day without breaking gait, and get up and do it again the next." And she would. Hannah had cantered her all the way to the castle.

"And how did you come across this fine horse?" Although he said it casually, Crowley was bursting with curiosity. You just didn't find horses like this in Araluen.

Hannah was quick with her answer. "She was part of a desert herd. I remembered my father speaking of them, long ago, and thought I might see for myself. None of the locals could tame her: They didn't have the patience to wait for her trust."

"You trained her yourself?" Crowley was eager to hear more.

"Yes, although she took to it well. I spent the first few days finding the herd, and the next 2 ½ weeks earning her trust. I traveled with the herd on a borrowed mount, eating, drinking, and sleeping with them, until she accepted me as a normal part of her surroundings. Then I began carefully making contact with her, gently stroking her neck and withers. Once she was comfortable with that, I gently pressed on her back, and finally, mounted. For the next week, I kept on like that, riding her but not interfering at all with her life in the herd. After this I felt I had earned to trust, and spent the rest of the time slowly teaching her the skills she would need. Once I had finished, I rode her here."

"Tackless."

"Yes, I don't like having a saddle between me and my mount, and she won't tolerate a bridle."

"Well, you've done a great job. May I ride her?"

Hannah grinned. "If you think that's a good idea, be my guest!" Somewhere in Crowley's memory, that phrase was familiar, but he was eager to see the result of the girl's training and shoved the thought aside.

Hannah knelt on one knee next to Aridiamaia, letting Crowley use her bent leg as a step to mount the tall horse. And then she stepped away VERY quickly. Crowley carefully tapped his heels against the horse's side, and she erupted into an elaborate series of bucks, rears, and twists. Taken completely, by surprise Crowley flew off the mares back.

"Easy, Maya," Hannah said, hiding a smile. The golden mare quieted instantly. Turning to Crowley, she added, "I thought that was a running joke among the Rangers!"

"It is. I just... thought it was coincidence!" Crowley suddenly wanted to hide. Of COURSE he had heard that before… said it too! Hannah smiled gently.

"You couldn't have known to expect that, I'm sorry."

Crowley shook his head. "The reminder wasn't a bad thing. Don't judge a book by its cover." He smiled. "Do you know how to shoot?"

"I am decent with a longbow. I considered applying to be a King's Archer, but none were needed." And, again King. Too close for comfort.

"Very well. You can put your things in the spare room. Inside, first left. After that, get, ummm..." he gestured at her horse.

"Aridiamaia. Maya for short."

"Get Maya ready. We have a bit of travel ahead of us."

* * *

 ** _Dun dun dunnnn!_** Hope you all enjoyed this! Sorry Crowley, I couldn't resist (-:


	3. And Another

"So you cantered her the whole way from Castle Araluen?" asked Bob, obviously impressed with the horse. Crowley had brought his apprentice here to see if there were any gaps in Maya's training that needed to be fixed. He had no doubt that all of the 'normal' things had been covered, but Rangers needed to rely on their mounts far more than average people. It was best to check, just in case. Walking around the mare to observe her better, Bob continued, thinking out loud. Hannah stood by nervously as her horse was appraised, yet again. "Hmm… taller than I like… makes 'em more noticeable in a crowd… very sound, though, no likelihood for injuries…" Satisfied, the Ranger trainer turned to Hannah. "She seems like a very nice horse, although it is hard to tell 'till you ride 'em. May I?"

"Of course! But-"  
"You know best, Bob! After all, you trained all of our mounts!" Crowley cut in quickly. He had been tricked by the old trainer twice. Finally, it would be the other way around! Thankfully, Hannah got his point and didn't finish her warning.

Gently stroking Maya's neck, Bob climbed up onto the fence. Though taller than Crowley, Maya was taller than he could easily swing himself onto. The mare stood stock still as he rested his weight on her back. Bob glanced at the pair on the ground. Hannah still looked nervous, and Crowley was laughing. Thinking that this was because of his height, Bob raised his eyebrows. Crowley waved his hand to continue, still snickering.

Knowing the spirited nature of the Aridian horses, Bob nudged Aridiamaia forward softly,and she responded immediately. Just not quite as softly. And not quite forward either. Expecting her to rocket forwards like a jouster, Bob was caught off guard by her sudden twist sideways. However, seeing as this was his job, he recovered quickly. Bob rode the ever-changing "panic mode" of the horse for a full minute before flying off after a particularly vicious rear/spin combination. Crowley, tears in his eyes from laughing so hard, helped him up.

"Well, I suppose it's fair that ye finally get back a' me, after all these years." Bob said, laughing along with Crowley. Hannah smiled. She liked the old man. He was good natured, and had no aversion to laughing at his own shortcomings. He nodded at her. "Ye've done a good job wi' this 'un. But I still want to teach 'er a few things, so- yes Crowley, ah gotta ask for the password. You don' have to be so amused!" It was obvious from his tone that he wasn't mad, only teasing. "Well, what do ah have ta tell her?"

"Watermelon," Hannah told him.

"Watermelon?"

"Don' say it ta 'er, say it ta the 'orse!" Crowley told him, imitating his accent (badly). Hannah grinned, and Bob pretended to be offended.

"I figured no one would say that before they got on her. If I made it something like, "Easy now," someone may say that out of habit. But no one says "watermelon" to a horse!"

"I reckon that's true. Well, lets try again!" Bob made his way over to the horse, this time pausing to whisper the passcode into Maya's ear before mounting.

* * *

A few hours later, after Bob was satisfied with the horse's training, he went to talk with his visitors.

"Crowley, ye've got an ol' friend waitin' for ye out in the paddock." Smiling broadly, the ranger ran outside, grabbing an apple on the way. Bob turned to Hannah.

"So, Princess Ayishah, ye've tamed one o' the Aridian Gold," Crowley said matter of factly.

Hannah stepped back, towards the door. She grabbed the pitchfork leaning next to it, the only thing she could find to defend herself. Bob laughed good naturedly. "You're goin' to need a less noticeable 'orse."

"I- What?" Hannah was shocked. She had fully expected Bob to force her to return to Aridia. Seeming to read her thoughts, the horseman spoke again.

"Don' worry, I'm not gonna tell anyone. That's why I sent Crowley outside earlier! But if yer gonna be a Ranger, you'll need a horse that can blend into a crowd. Aridiamaia is a fine mare, and not many people know about the dessert gold. But sooner or later, you're bound to find someone who puts two an' two together and names you as the lost princess. So, yer gonna need a Ranger horse."

"Thanks, but… Maya… I…" she didn't know how to turn down his offer without hurting his feelings.

"Don't worry, ye can keep Maya, jes so long as ye make sure to work wi' the new horse too. It'd be best if ye rode 'em equally."

"Ok, I can do that! Do you have someone in mind?"

"Ah got a stable full! Follow me."

* * *

After looking at the horses Bob had offered her (a chestnut mare named Acorn, a palomino colt called Rebel, and a handsome bay stallion named Prince, as well as the one she chose) Hannah made her way over to the last stall. In it was a small mare, blue roan in color, with a small spot on her forehead. "Yes, that's Stardust," Bob told her. "Ah think ye'll get on well wi' her. Why don't ye go outside an' get to know 'er better?" Hannah accepted this invitation readily. Before she mounted, she asked Bob for the horse's password. "Jes tell her, 'Shoot the moon' an' ye won't have any problems." Nodding, Hannah did as he said, then swung onto the horse's back.

* * *

As she neared the gate to the pasture, Hannah noticed the horse perk up, and tense her muscles slightly. She wanted to run. "Alright, Star. Go for it," Hannah said, nudging her gently. The horse responded immediately. Hannah grinned at the sheer joy of galloping through an open field. Her smile widened as they sailed over a log. Stardust was as good of a horse as Maya, she realized. This would be fun.

* * *

When she got back to where Bob and Crowley, who was mounted on Cropper, were waiting, Hannah smiled. "Thanks, Bob. For everything."

"No problem. Take good care of 'em!" he said, guessing the real meaning of her remark correctly.

"Come on, Hannah. We need to ride hard if we want to get home before dark," Crowley said, opening the paddock to let Aridiamaia out. Hannah nodded, and the pair turned away.

"Oh, Hannah!" Bob's call came from behind, "Next time, bring me a stallion!" Hannah grinned, nodding, and urged her horses into a canter to catch up with her mentor.


	4. Preparation

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Happy new year! I've updated in honor of 2017. Maybe I'll even get a second chapter out today. Enjoy(:**

* * *

Castle Araluen was a flurry of motion. In less than a week, it would be the New Year, and time for the Aridian Ball. To celebrate a treaty with the Aridians, Duncan invited several prominent Aridian dignitaries, including Selethen himself, to celebrate the start of another peaceful year for the two countries. If only it could start that way.

As Hannah walked to the castle, she thought back to the night before, and Crowley's request.

"I suppose you know of the Aridians, Hannah? After all, you borrowed one of their horses." he had said.

"Yes, my father told me about them when I was younger." True story. Just not the way Crowley would imagine it.

"And I suppose you know of the ball coming up?" Hannah nodded again. In Aridia, the New Year was celebrated by staying up the whole night, gambling away a fortune in chocolate, and drinking. A lot. The theory was to satisfy all of your bad habits early so that you could have a great year, although Hannah suspected that people just liked to throw parties. And drink too much. Hence why all New Year's gambling was traditionally done with chocolate.

"Well, one of my Rangers has gotten wind of a plot to kill the princess, and then to blame it on Aridia. Which would most likely break the peace between our countries. But that's fine. There's only millions of them!" Crowley said sarcastically. Hannah could tell that he was trying to lighten the mood, and that he was very worried.

"It would undoubtedly be bad, but don't public officials get death threats all the time?" Hannah had gotten 76 so far. None of them had been serious.

"I would dismiss it, but Morgarath has been on the move again, and this has his name written all over it. Also, we can't risk a war with Aridia." Hannah nodded in agreement. She had seen firsthand the power of the Aridian cavalry, and knew that Araluen had no chance. And she was rather partial to Araluen, seeing to it that she lived there.

"Since you're telling me this, I assume you have something you want me to do?" That's how it usually was.

"Well… Yes. Maybe." Crowley paused, and Hannah tilted her head expectantly. "Well… If we could keep Cassandra from-"

"No. She needs to go. A sign of distrust like that is enough to shatter the peace." I would know, the princess thought grimly. I was raised on castle etiquette.

"Of course. But if we sent someone in her place, let me finish please, and disguised as her… That's what I wanted to ask you. Can you think of anyone who could do it?" Hannah's thoughts drifted immediately to Alyss. The young Courier would have spent the past few months learning exactly the skills required. But Hannah had actually lived it…

"I can do it."

"Are you sure? I mean-"

"Name a woman from the village."

"Uh, Jennifer Lecrane, the knight's wife."

"Ok," Hannah said, nodding, "give me 15 minutes."

* * *

15 minutes later, a tall, red haired woman walked out of the spare room. Her brilliant blue eyes twinkled with good humor, and her hair fell down her back in gentle waves. She wore a simple white dress, and walked with the elegant confidence and grace of someone born into aristocracy. "To what do I owe the pleasure of meeting you, my good sir?" She spoke with what Crowley called the "Royal la-di-da". Only when he and Halt were very far out of Royal earshot, of course. Araluen nobles had a very distinct pattern of speech, with their voice inflections and stressed syllables making their sentences sound like la-di-da-da-di-la-da, etc.

Crowley was amazed. 15 minutes ago, Hannah had gone in there, her brownish-blond hair had been twisted into a tight knot, which kept it out of her eyes while she worked. Her grey eyes had a steely glint in them, though weren't unkind. That was one now. And normally, Hannah blended in. This woman seemed to fill the room. He had no doubt that she would command the attention of a large group. Just like Jennifer Lecrane.

"Hannah?"

"That's me!" the woman said. She sounded like herself again, and her posture and expression were back to normal. But her hair was still red, and her facial features still weren't her own.

"You...wow. You really know… wow. Umm… so, uh… You wanted to take the princess's place at the ball?"

* * *

As Maya's hooves thudded on the drawbridge, Hannah thought back to her mission. Crowley had given her the week off to prepare to impersonate the princess, who had agreed, gratefully, to go along with the plan. Like the two Rangers, she was inclined to take this threat more seriously than past ones. She had, however, cautioned them not to tell her father, King Duncan. "He gets so anxious when he has to pretend, it would just be so much better if you could let him be just as clueless as everyone else." Hannah was fine with that. There would be less questions that way.

Her task today was to learn the current dress trends from the knights' ladies. She would need to pick out her own dress for the event, as the castle staff would also be under the impression that the real Cassandra was going to the ball. Thankfully, the two girls were similar in size, and a dress tailored to Hannah would not look out of place in the princess's wardrobe. She would tell anyone she talked to that she was doing early shopping for the Snowflake Ball, the mid- February ball that all of Araluen fief's subjects would be given the day off to attend. Hopefully, she would receive enough pointers to be able to find a suitable dress, and then have Cassandra order it. After the royal tailors had done their jobs, she would tailor it again, to herself, in order to bring the least people possible into the situation. Since the princess would be expected to wear a different dress to each event, the change would go unnoticed.

As she entered the courtyard, Hannah say heads start to turn. She had decided not to wear her Ranger uniform today, opting instead for the long white dress she had worn last night when she demonstrated her skill to Crowley. On top of the golden Aridiamaia, Hannah knew that she looked stunning. That had been her point.

She smiled at the nearest cluster of ladies. Hannah recognized Jennifer Lecrane, as well as two of her best friends, Alicia Carlton and Kathrynne Macarthey. Hannah dismounted and made her way over. The other three smiled and nodded politely. "You've got a stunning horse there, Miss Berrigan!" Alicia said enthusiastically.

"Thank you, Lady Carlton," Hannah responded formally.

"Oh, that's enough. We can call each other by our first names, can we not?" Kathrynne asked impatiently. Hannah noted that that was how she seemed to do most things.

"Yes, I think that is appropriate," Jennifer added. "What can we help you with, dear?" she asked Hannah kindly.

She blushed, the lowly village girl privileged at receiving such attention from a noble. "Well, my master gave me the day off, and I thought I might use it to do some early shopping for the Snowflake Ball. It's only a month or so away, and I probably won't get another good chance beforehand." Hannah blushed again, keeping up her act. In reality, she was perfectly comfortable in aristocratic society, and could have talked to the ladies with ease.

"Well, I suppose you will need to catch up on the trends then," Kathrynne said thoughtfully.

"Yes, Crowley keeps you busy," Alicia added sympathetically.

"Well, if you have a moment, you three are known for being some of the most fashionable around, so I thought-" Hannah blushed as Jennifer cut her off.

"Oh, I do love this kind of thing! Come with me, I have some old dresses I can't use anymore. It wouldn't do to wear the same thing I did last year!" Hannah smiled. She knew that any proper lady would be disgraced to be caught at a social event in an outfit she had already worn.

"I am much obliged." She blushed again. A bit overboard, maybe, but she knew these three wouldn't notice.

* * *

"What about the turquoise one? In back?" Hannah asked. Lady Lecrane had been showering her in a flurry of dresses. Pro- Hannah now knew ALL of the recent trends and had a dress in mind for the ball. Con- The lady expected her to choose one of these dresses to wear at the Snowflake Ball. Pro- she wouldn't have to buy it. Con-she looked ridiculous in pink. Always had. And Lady Lecrane loved pink.

"Hmm… I wore that one last year… People might notice…"

"My lady, they might notice if you wore it again, but I doubt anyone will pay attention to me."

"Yes… I suppose that's true. Well, try it on!" Hannah knew she wasn't trying to be rude, only honest. So she tried it on. "Oh, yes! You simply must take that one! Oh, it looks like it was made for you!" Hannah blushed, for real this time. It did look very nice on.

"I couldn't ask-"

"Of course not, dear. I'll have it altered for you, don't bother to bring it back. Oh, that will be perfect!" The lady called in a seamstress, who began taking measurements and pinning the dress.


	5. Happy New Year!

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Writersblock-is-Lazyness, I think you'll like this chapter :)**

 **Also: I tried... Really I did... But the description is bad so here's a link to a dress similar to what I envisioned [** **/images/newprom/4720140211_090830_ ] Sorry guys... I failed you...**

* * *

Her hand rested carefully on the King's arm, Hannah walked into the grand hall. She was wearing an elegant yellow ball gown, with a long, flowing skirt and a twist of silver material to connect it to the bodice, which was detailed beautifully. Her [now auburn] hair drifted down her back in elegant waves, except for the few strands that she had pinned together in back. The half up/half down style was popular right now. She had used face putty to change the shape of her nose and cheekbones, and so now looked enough like the real princess of Araluen to fool even Duncan.

Hannah smiled at the assembled dignitaries as she entered. Thanks to Cassandra's late-night (or early-morning) tutoring, Hannah knew that she had no idea who the Aridians were. That made things easier. They probably didn't know her well either. Or, they didn't think they did. Hannah recognized her father sitting in the middle of the room, next to her former-future-husband and his father. That was part of the reason she had run away. She was expected to marry her childhood best friend upon coming of age. Awkward.

The Araluens made their way to the center of the room to sit next to Selethen. It was an Aridian custom that more important people sat closer to the middle of the room, and Duncan had decided to adopt it in honor of the night. Selethen stood to greet Duncan and introduce himself, although this was for formality's sake. The two men knew each other well. Hannah noticed with surprise that Ab dal'an stood as well. It seemed that he would be taking her place this year.

Selethen bowed in the elaborate style of the Aridians, as Ab dal'an did the same. "Seley el'then, my good sir, king of the Aridian tribesman. This is Ab dal'an, who will be taking my daughter's place this evening." How ironic, Hannah thought. She was half tempted to introduce herself as Princess Ayishah, who will be taking the princess's place this evening. But that would be stupidity at its greatest degree.

Duncan bowed, a close rendition of the Aridian one, while Hannah curtsied, a little clumsily. She had tried the elaborate Aridian performance, which she could, of course, do perfectly, but that was the result of hours of practice. She knew that Cassandra wouldn't have put that much effort in, and so made sure to only come close, not exact, to the real thing. "My dear guest, I am King Duncan of Araluen, accompanied by my daughter Cassandra." Selethen stiffened, and Hannah forced her expression to stay neutral. In Aridia, you did not remind someone that they were guests at your party. It was considered to be bad manners, and throwing your weight around. Selethen, however, quickly realized the difference in customs and graciously thanked him for the invitation. Hannah could have laughed again at the irony. While the men were good friends now, the original point of the ball had been to keep Selethen from invading Aridia, thus Duncan should be thanking him. The formalities over, the four took their seats, and dinner was served.

After the food, everyone in attendance walked down the hall to the ballroom, where the dancing would be held. Cassandra and Ab dal'an would open the dance. In the past, they had each had to bring their own dance partners, but it seemed things would be easier this year. Yay, Hannah thought flatly. I'm not even in Aridia, and I still manage to have to dance with him. Haven't missed a year yet. Maybe next time.

The orchestra began playing a slow, peaceful tune as the two stepped onto the middle of the floor. When they met, Ab dal'an bowed to her, extending his hand as he did so. Hannah accepted his invitation to dance by curtsying and placing her hand on his. As they swayed and stepped in time with the music, more couples began drifting out onto the floor. Hannah noticed Duncan dancing with Selethen's wife, and Selethen with Duncan's. That was another tradition at this ball. Hannah's mind drifted back to the present as she noticed Ab dal'an talking to her, making polite conversation. "Have you noticed that some of the stars are brighter than others? The really bright ones are planets. This time of year, you'll see Venus…" Hannah zoned out again. He really hadn't changed at all. Nod and smile, she told herself, nod and smile. If you interrupt him, you've got another half hour of why he's right and your wrong. Pretend you care. Even though you don't.

Finally, the song ended, and thanking him for the dance, Hannah gratefully rushed away to powder her nose. She didn't want to hear anything else about the science of boring-ology, or whatever it was called. She thought it would probably be interesting if the person explaining it didn't insist on making what could have been a riveting conversation in to a dry monologue. She and Ab dal'an had been friends more out of circumstances than common interests. At the palace, Ab dal'an was the only one who she could complain to. Being the head Ambassador's son, he understood the trials of life as a royal.

Soon, Hannah was approached by another young man, this time a new knight. As princess, she knew she would be asked to dance several times, and that she couldn't refuse any of them. It wouldn't be polite. Oh well, he looked nice enough. And Ab dal'an couldn't dance with her if she was with him… Of all the people here, he was the only one who would recognize her. Her father had always been busy around the castle, so she saw him very little, but Ab dal'an had been her playmate. Hannah had played several pranks on him where she disguised herself as a castle servant to try to trick him. He had caught her every time.

The knight bowed to her, and as Hannah accepted his invitation, she noticed Crowley, standing in a corner. No one else would see him. She smiled at her partner and began to dance. It was nice to know that she wasn't alone if things went against the plan.

* * *

"You were brilliant. Even Duncan had no idea."

"Do you really think so, Crowley?" Though not as tight mouthed as Halt, Hannah knew that Crowley didn't give out praise lightly, and she was pleased.

"Yes. I have never seen anyone act that naturally. How do you do it?"

"Um… It's complicated." Crowley nodded.

"I see. I won't press you then. I learned that the hard way. From Halt."

"Thanks Crowley. I'll see you in the morning," Hannah said. It was well past midnight, and she was tired.

"Good night!"


	6. Correspondence

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: This one is pitifully short, but I published two today so that is why. I'll make up for it in the next one! That is one of my favorite ideas for the story!**

* * *

 _Dear Halt,_

 _I have noticed lately that Hannah's skill has progressed greatly. She can ride better than anyone I have ever met. Bob says the same, which should tell you something. Somewhere, she must have learned how to shoot, because she is already more than capable of using a full longbow. She does not have the speed or accuracy of a ranger yet, but is getting there quickly. Same thing with the knives. She is a natural at moving unseen, and has a wonderful memory for everything else she must know. I think that it would benefit her, and, from what you have told me, Will as well, to learn from someone else for a couple weeks as well._

 _Your friend,_

 _Crowley_

* * *

 _I agree that that would be a good thing. Will has done very good as well. Shall we exchange apprentices for a while?_

 _Halt_

* * *

 _Dear Halt,_

 _Yes, I think that would be wonderful. I'll send Hannah down to Redmont in a week? You can tell me when you are ready to send her back._

 _Your friend,_

 _Crowley_

* * *

 _Very well, I'll do the same._

 _Halt_


	7. The Switch

Hissss, thunk! Hannah had been practicing all morning. Although the Gathering was still a month away, Hannah was worried that she still didn't have the skill required to be a Ranger. She put her longbow down, walking out to retrieve her arrows. Eleven had hit the middle of the bullseye, but Hannah frowned at the last one. It was slightly off center, which wasn't a big deal on a stationary target, but it could have caused her to miss a galloping horseman. Or a charging boar. She had heard a report from Araluen that two had been killed in the woods outside the castle the last week.

Hannah had been so intent on practicing, she didn't notice Crowley, standing in the doorway.

"You know, all of your archery skills won't amount to much if you can't notice anyone coming up behind you." Hannah blushed.

"What's wrong?" Crowley continued, "Normally you would have noticed me long ago."

"I guess I was just… distracted," she replied lamely.

"Worried?" She wanted to scream 'YES!' but thought that might be considered overboard.

"A bit."

"Tell me." Crowley motioned to her to come sit up on the porch with him. Doing so, Hannah explained herself.

"The Gathering is only a month or so away, and no matter what I do, my accuracy decreases on the longer range, especially if I have been practicing for a while. I think I overcompensate for the distance, but when I focus on it, I _under_ compensate. And I just can't get used to the knives, they're fine for throwing, but in hand-to-hand combat…" Ab dal'an had taught her to shoot an Aridian crossbow and use the curved dessert sabers, but they were just so _different_! The crossbows didn't have the strength or range of a Ranger's longbow, and the knives were, well, straight. Trying to learn to use them was like breaking an old habit.

Crowley was surprised. He hadn't realized Hannah was this hard on herself. "You do realize that most apprentices consider "touching the bullseye" a direct hit, right? And a month is longer than it seems. I'm sure it feels like you'll never get it, I felt like that when I first started Archery."

"Really?"

"Yeah. My master made it look so easy!" Hannah laughed. She had thought the same thing many times.

"Anyways," Crowley continued, "you really are quite good, even though it might not feel like it all the time, and I know that Halt has said the same about Will. We were thinking, it would be good for both of you to learn from someone else for a while. Why don't you go get packed, and you can ride to Halt's to learn from him for a couple weeks."

"OK, sounds good!" Hannah said, excited, but nervous at the same time.

* * *

After she had finished packing her things, the same ones she had brought to train Maya, Hannah went to prepare her horses. Crowley had told her to bring both, so that she could keep up the bond with the two.

"C'mon, Star. Here, Maya!" The horses responded immediately to her voice. "Hey girls. We're gonna switch things up a little." She spoke quietly, like always. She liked talking to her horses. She could tell them anything. Horses don't judge, but Crowley probably would if he saw her speaking with them. "Here Maya. I'll ride you first." She knew that Stardust would follow. After 20 minutes, she would switch horses, working them both evenly. Swinging nimbly onto Aridiamaia's back, Hannah nudged the horse with her heels, and they cantered off, down the trail.

* * *

After a hard day of riding, Hannah came within sight of Castle Redmont. "It's good to be home," she told her horses. Urging Star into one last gallop, Hannah rode to Halt's cabin in the woods. She was greeted by a whinny from a pony around back who she recognized as Abelard. Hannah smiled. Some things were the same everywhere.

Hearing his horse whinny, Halt stepped out onto the porch to greet his new temporary apprentice. "She yours?" He asked gruffly, gesturing to Maya.

"Yes." Hannah replied, equally taciturn.

"You trained her then?"

"Yes." Halt grunted.

"I'd like to ride her."

"Ok. Be my guest. Just make sure to tell her 'Watermelon' before you mount."

"Watermelon?"

"Say it to the horse, not to me!" Halt grunted again. He wasn't sure what to make of this yet. He needed to ride the horse to confirm his thoughts. He led her to the porch steps. As he moved to mount, Halt remembered his first meeting with her. He realized how easily she could have tricked him the same way. The fact that she hadn't said a lot about her character. She hadn't wanted to embarrass him, he realized.

Whispering the passcode into the horse's ear, Halt realized he didn't know the horse's name. As he mounted, he asked, "What's her name?"

"Aridiamaia."

"That's quite a name for a Ranger horse."

"It's Aridian."

"I see."

Satisfied now, Halt trotted down the trail. Hannah, who had dismounted to meet Halt, hurriedly swung onto Stardust and hurried after him. Once she drew level with the Ranger, he took off into a furious gallop, grinning with pleasure. This mare had the strength and stamina of a ranger horse, but with longer legs. The speed was exhilarating.

After about a half hour, the Halt made his way back to the cabin. Hannah was waiting for him. "You've done well," Halt said. "Thank you."

"No problem!" Hannah grinned. She knew that praise from him was worth a lot.

You can put you things in Will's room, that's where you'll sleep while you're here. He's at Crowley's doing the same thing are here." Hannah nodded. She had thought that might happen. She was a bit disappointed though. She had always been a good friend of Will's.

"Once you've finished that, come back out. We need to talk." Hannah nodded again, and went to get settled in.


	8. Common Ground

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Spoiler alert if you haven't read book 8 yet. I think this only gives away "background" information, but you should finish it before you read further, just in case. Also gives away a bit from the prequel, Tournament at Gorlan, but this is really minor information so if you haven't read it- You should because it's great and Halt is awesome, but this chapter won't give much away. At all. You've been warned :D**

 **Also, I just realized that Selethen isn't actually a king in the book... Well, he is here. Sorry if I confused anyone!**

* * *

Hannah had finished putting her things in the drawer. The only thing left out was a single drawing, a beautiful desert with stunning sand dunes. She had drawn it herself before leaving Aridia. She looked at it for a moment longer, then put it under her neatly folded shirts, out of view, and closed the drawer. Hannah stood silently for a while before going out. The way Halt had said they needed to talk seemed so serious, and she was worried. "But Halt is always serious," she reprimanded herself. "Come on, you haven't got all day."

The Ranger was waiting at the table when she got out, a cup of coffee in his hand. "Do you drink coffee? Or are you like all the rest of those useless apprentices who don't know what's good for them?"

Hannah grinned. "I guess I'm useless, Halt. I've always preferred tea."

"Never mind. I get twice as much. Anyways, I don't suppose you've heard of Hibernia?" Hannah's thoughts raced. Of course she knew about Hibernia. Ever since the elder O' Carrick had left his brother in charge, they had had problems with them… Of course. Halt O' Carrick. 'Idiot!' She told herself.

"I've heard of it, yes," she compromised.

"Your modesty is admirable," Halt noted before continuing. "Anyways, you might know about Ferris O' Carrick, who took the throne after his twin brother disgraced the country. You should, at least," he amended. "That was the story that dear King Ferris sent to the world. In reality, it was a bit different." Halt paused, and Hannah leaned forward. She sensed a good story, and one that she had never heard. Halt continued.

"In reality, his brother was older, and quite fit to rule, if I may be the judge. Ferris was jealous, knowing that he had no chance to rule as long as his brother was around, so he decided to do something about it." Halt's voice was bitter. He stood up to get more coffee, flipping up his cowl as he did so. When he resumed talking, his voice was softer. Forced, almost. Hannah smiled gently. She understood why this was difficult for him to recount.

"He tried three times to kill him; the first, he poisoned the prince's food. If he hadn't gotten the doses wrong, it would have worked." Halt sipped his coffee. "The second, he tried to drop a load of bricks on top of his brother. But he missed and injured the prince's leg instead. The third, he tried to drown his brother while they were fishi- Damn coffee, I burnt my tongue," Halt growled, turning away as a tear slid down his cheek. He continued, facing the wall. "While they were fishing for salmon. After this, the brother decided it was too risky to stay in Clonmel. He didn't really like the royal life anyways. Too many restrictions. He fled to the countryside, where he met an exiled Ranger named Pritchard- the same one who trained Crowley. He learned from him, and set out for Araluen to join the Ranger corps. After a lot of less notable activities," Hannah smiled at this. Halt hated recognition. "he ended up in this room, talking to you." Hannah nodded, realizing that he wasn't done yet, and only wanted to make sure understood. Flipping his cowl back down so that she could see his face, the ranger took his seat again. "Is there anything that you want to tell me?" Hannah stayed silent. Seeing the reluctance in her eyes, Halt added, "I wouldn't have asked you that if you couldn't trust me. Believe me, I know the fear of being a royal on the run. I didn't tell Crowley for- I don't know. Too long. It's really hard being friends with someone who only knows half of you."

"If, theoretically, the King asked you about someone-"

"I wouldn't tell him a thing," Halt cut in. "It isn't my business, unless my country is threatened by that person. If, say, an Aridian princess, and this is purely theoretical, but if she wished to remain anonymous, I would respect that. I know as well as anyone that she likely has a very good reason. Things are seldom what they seem." Hannah was silent. Finally she nodded, slowly.

"I'll confirm what you already know then. Yes, I am Princess Ayishah. But how did you guess?"

"First of all, don't worry. Apart from Bob, no one else on this side of Skandia will recognize you." Hannah nodded. That was why she had come this far. "The only reason I knew was that Bob seems to like sending me out to collect horses for him, and I about killed myself trying to capture a golden stallion."

"That was you!" Hannah shouted gleefully, "The scouts never got close enough to identify the thief!"

"Yes, I had to settle for a palomino instead. Bob found it all very amusing. Seems he planned the whole thing." Hannah grinned. That sounded like Bob. "Anyways, I assume you're tired of being the only one who knows what happened?" Hannah nodded. It was lonely, knowing that you could never tell anyone much about yourself. And she trusted Halt.

"Yeah. It is tiring. Anyways…" she paused, "You know that my father is Selethen, king of Aridia. As his only child, that makes me the crown princess, and the future queen. I have always found castle life very dull and, quite honestly, fairly pointless. Really, the only good part of it was riding. My father made sure that I could ride a horse from an early age, and my mother recognized natural talent and made sure I rode whenever I wanted to. Most days, I would go out two or three times. The time I spent on horseback was the only time I wasn't expected to be a proper lady. As soon as I could walk, I was taught how to curtsy, speak eloquently, treat guests, all the things a princess needs to know. Usually, my mother would teach me a lesson, then play with me and my best friend, Ab dal'an, until someone reminded her that she had something to do. Every now and then my father would come and join us, but he was usually occupied with something else. Something "important," he would always say." Hannah paused, gathering her thoughts. "Even though he was busy during the day, though, he always made sure to eat meals with us, so I did get to see him a lot. Overall, I was happy." Her voice broke, and tears were in her eyes. "I don't know why I'm crying!"

"I think you do," Halt said gently.

"Wh-When I was twelve, my- my mother died from-" she couldn't continue. Hannah sunk her face into her hands, years of bottled-up grief pouring out. Halt, remembering his when his sister Caitlyn had died, moved closer. He wrapped his arms around her in a fatherly embrace. Hannah, with the small part of her brain that was still functioning, was surprised that the grim ranger could be so sympathetic. Halt wanted to say something to comfort her, but knew that she just needed to get it all out. She had spent three years in the ward, unable to tell anyone about her parents, and had probably just covered up all of her emotions. 'It can be very tiring,' Halt noted. And so he just kept hugging her, holding her against him until she felt better.

Once she stopped crying, Hannah took a deep breath, calming herself. 'That girl has incredible willpower," Halt thought. Out loud, he said, "It's okay. You don't have to tell me the rest."

"No, I- I want to," Hannah said. And she did. Halt was a good listener, and it was nice to have someone she could trust. "After- after Mom died-" she paused and took a deep breath. Halt rested his hand on her shoulder. "After that, Selethen pushed me away. I think I reminded him too much of Mom."

"I can see that. You look nothing like him, so you must have her features."

"Yeah. The castle servants used to call me the little queen, we looked so much alike. Anyways, Selethen re-did the castle completely, getting rid of anything that made him think of her. Maybe if he had given himself time to come to terms with her death things would have been different, but, as it was, anything that reminded him of her absence was too much for him to take. He knew that he was cutting me off from other people, and I think he felt bad about that, so he arranged me to be married to Ab dal'an, who was the head diplomat's son, upon my turning thirteen. I'm sure that he thought he would be doing me a favor, that I would be grateful for the chance to be with someone who could talk to me, but things between us- well, it was pretty awkward. Don't get me wrong, it was great to have someone to complain about royal life to, but conversations with him tended to be very one-sided and boring. My philosophy was, "Nod and say yes. If he gives you a funny look, shake your head and say no.' I don't think we would have been very good friends if we hadn't been the only two kids in the castle. Around the time I turned 12, he started acting strangely around me, showing off and what not. It didn't take long for me to recognize his, ummm, I'll be nice and call them pathetic attempts at flirting. I really only wanted to be his friend, and this made it really hard to talk to him. I tried to tell Selethen this, but he wouldn't listen. I don't think he meant to be mean, I just look too much like my mother.

"Anyways, a week before I turned thirteen, wedding preparations started. Originally, I had planned to go through with the ceremony and hope for the best. But, I really wasn't feeling very compliant, so I packed my bags and ran away. I have a friend-" she stopped.

"It's okay, I won't tell anyone about them either. I promise," Halt said, correctly guessing the reason for her abrupt stop.

"Thanks. Like I said, I have a friend who runs a spice trade in the royal city. Her husband makes frequent trips around the continent, and he agreed to smuggle me out of the city in his cart. He took me to the border of Araluen, and told me to find Redmont Fief. He remembered hearing about a ward for orphans run by the baron there, and said that I would be safe. That's how I ended up here."

"You were thirteen at the time?"

"Almost. I was twelve and 361 days when I ran away," Hannah smiled driley.

"Didn't they search for you?"

"Yes, but it would have taken at least three hours before anyone came looking. The servants thought I went for a ride. I must say, I like life as a ranger far better, although sometimes I miss dressing up for the balls. I think I'd like to go to one where I don't have to worry about causing a war if I bow lower to one diplomat than to another."

Halt laughed. "Yes, that might take some of the fun out of it!" Hannah smiled.

"Yeah. Crowley said I can go to the Snowflake Ball in Araluen, so I'm looking forward to that."

"Wonderful. Now, if I recall, this isn't a palace, and I don't see any servants. And last I checked, wood won't chop itself."

"Some things are the same everywhere," Hannah said as she went to do the cabin chores.

* * *

 **Ok, that was fun. I've been looking forward to this chapter! And this is officially my longest chapter so far! Que the confetti! Remember that pitiful chapter that was, like, 250 words? Well, now I've made it up to you. Yay!**

 **I'm having a cover image contest! You have until Friday the 13th (ooooh cool I didn't realize that until now) to send me your best cover image for the story. Just make sure you have usage rights! Just PM me the link. The winner gets to name a character for in the next few chapters!**


	9. The Enemy

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Random fact of the day... I hate snakes. OK, now that you've wasted 5 seconds, on with the story! lol**

* * *

Halt was sitting on the porch, enjoying a leisurely cup of coffee. Hannah was behind the cabin, stacking firewood. Apprentices could be so much fun! He was using the extra time to puzzle over the mysterious deaths of Northolt and Loriac when a cry of surprise came from the woods. It was closely followed by the _hisss, thunk_ of three arrows, shot within the space of a couple seconds. Not pausing to think, Halt dropped his coffee and grabbed his longbow, which had been resting against the cabin wall. It never hurt to be prepared. Sprinting around to the back where the woods met the trail, Halt nocked an arrow and began looking for intruders. Not seeing anyone, he went to the stable first. Since he hadn't heard a warning from any of the three horses, it was a logical place to start. Halt tried not to think about what that could mean. He had learned over time that things are seldom what they seem.

Moving unseen to anyone who may be watching, Halt entered the barn. Abelard, Star, and Maya all looked at him curiously. Sighing in relief, Halt stepped back out. And then immediately became worried. Whoever was here had managed to be here without alerting the horses. Although his instinct was to go find Hannah right away, halt knew that he shouldn't rush into things. Slowly, he circled the clearing, looking for footprints. Finding none except Hannah's, he followed those, leading further into the woods. After a few hundred feet, Halt could make out another sound, the _thud thud thud_ of an ax. With this to guide him, he began moving faster, but with the same caution.

Soon after that, Halt found what he had been looking for. Hannah was surrounded by chopped logs, and another was propped up, ready to be split. Hannah paused, the ax in midair,and turned to the ranger. "Hi, Halt. Something wrong?" she asked, surprised. He never interrupted her during her chores.

"Where is he?" Halt asked, assuming she had fired the arrows.

"Umm... Who is 'he'," Hannah asked.

"The one who attacked you. I heard you scream and fire some arrows..." Now Halt was confused. And even more worried. Only a Ranger could have fired that fast. Or a very, very dangerous enemy.

Hannah laughed. "Oh! Sorry! I didn't think you would have heard from that far away! Here, come over here." Hannah gestured to a spot some twenty feet off. I came over here to get a log to chop up, and this guy slithered out. Laying on the ground was a copperhead with three arrows neatly lined up along it's neck. Hannah smiled apologetically. "I _really_ hate snakes. And copperheads are venomous anyways."

Halt nodded. Well, at least I know she can shoot. "Let's get back to the cabin. We can finish up here tomorrow." Hannah nodded, grinning slightly. Maybe 'we' and 'you' were the same word in Hibernian, and Halt had never learned the difference. Because she was pretty sure he wouldn't be helping.

* * *

"Try not to be so rigid. It's far easier when you move with the horse." Once they had gotten back to the cabin, Halt had decided to help her with her riding. Although she was quite good already, she had learned in a royal court, and so some of the more practical tricks had never been taught to her. Halt knew that she needed to master this before she could ever hope to shoot well while riding. "Try to lift yourself off the horse, and let your legs hold you up. Keep walking around like that." Hannah did as she was told. Halt knew that she would soon find out that, in order to stay on, she would need to bend and move with the animal. Maya's long stride would make that even harder. Knowing that she would be the harder of the two to shoot from, Halt had Hannah practicing on her. Technically, she shouldn't learn to shoot mounted until her second or third year of training, depending on her skill, but Halt had never had a very high regard for rules. If Rangers followed all the rules, nothing would ever get done. And anyways, if Crowley couldn't hit the bullseye from his mount, there was no way he could teach Hannah to do so. "You can sit back down now," he told Hannah. He didn't want her tired yet. "Good. Feel how you're letting her stride carry you, instead of trying to stay upright the whole time?" Hannah nodded. "Now you can take the energy you would have used on that and put it towards other things. Such as archery." Halt handed her his longbow.

"Halt, this is yours." Hannah noted with surprise.

"I noticed."

"I-"

"Can pull it back fine, I think."

"How did you know that was what I was going to say?"

"Because you have an extremely annoying tendency to underestimate yourself. Now, I've set up some targets throughout the pasture. I want you to walk around and shoot them. There are five."

Hannah nodded. That was easy enough. Once she had finished, she turned around. Halt, who had followed her, handed back the five arrows, all of which had hit the center of thee bullseye.

"Not bad. Now try at a trot." Hannah did. She missed the first couple targets because of the bouncy gait, but Halt was pleased to see, improved as she went. She drew back the string, then stood and fired in time with her mare's step. The third arrow hit the bullseye, and the fourth and fifth were perfect shots.

Again, Halt handed back the arrows. "You've got the right idea. Now see what you can do from a gallop." Hannah took off, her horse running at full speed. She shot the first arrow as her horse's hooves touched the ground, and the arrow went wide. The next time, she waited until Maya's legs were all in the air, and fired then. It was barely more than a second long window, and she missed it the first time.

"Yes, you've got the right idea. Draw and aim while she's on the ground, and let the arrow loose while her hooves are up. That way you don't have to do it all in a split second."

Hannah nodded. With practice, she thought that she might be able to pull it off, but for now she would take Halt's advice. As the third, fourth, and fifth arrows hit home, Halt said, "Now go get Stardust. You need to be able to shoot from both of them."

* * *

After repeating the same drill, although skipping the walk this time, Hannah was comfortable on both mares. She had even progressed to shooting sticks out of the air that Halt threw for her. Halt was secretly impressed. Not many apprentices could have picked it up that fast. not for the first time, he was very, very glad she was on his side.

"I think that's enough for today," he told her. "Rub your horses down, I'll make supper tonight."

"Thanks Halt!" Hannah said. She knew that this was Halt's way of congratulating her, and realized that that would make the already amazing stew taste even better.


	10. No Place Like Home

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: So sorry I haven't updated in forever! I just had midterms... and guess what... You're about to hear all about them soon! Because I write for stress relief, and these stories are loosely based off my life. That means I get to rant all I want without people getting annoyed at me (I hope...?) Anyways, on with the story!**

* * *

Hannah stroked Star's neck thoughtfully. Halt had told her that she she would return to Araluen the next day, to resume her training with Crowley. Hannah was excited to see her mentor again, but sad to be leaving Halt. For all his gruff demeanor, she knew that he could be kind and empathetic, once you got to know him. He had done so much for her, it didn't seem right to just leave...

Judging that she was a safe distance away from the cottage, where she wouldn't be interrupted, Hannah opened her pack. In it was paper, paint, and a bush. When she was stressed or worried, she often painted, letting her mind guide the brush and transfer her thoughts to a picture. Usually, she ended up creating a dessert landscape, similar to her homeland, but today she found herself reaching for the green. Gently guiding the brush across the page, she outlined a graceful tree, and continued to fill it in. Soon after, a bird's nest appeared, high in the branches of the oak. A baby red bird peeped as its mama leaned over to feed it, and the soft blue sky gradually filled the blank space. After a half hour, a small cabin had appeared beside it, similar to the one he had come to know. Hannah carefully brushed a small _B_ onto the bottom right corner, and surveyed her work. 'It would look better framed,' she thought. Finding an old log, Hannah used her saxe to create a cut out strips of wood, and notch them so they would stay together without nails. Carefully pushing the picture in, she smiled. 'Halt will be surprised to find this,' she mused. 'I'll leave it in the stable, behind his saddle. That way he won't find it until I've left.' Regardless of her outgoing nature, Hannah was shy about some things, especially accepting praise and answering questions about herself.

* * *

After thanking Halt for teaching her, Hannah set out for Araluen. As planned, she had left the painting in the stable. Smiling, she patted Maya's neck.

"I think he'll like it, don't you girl?" she felt a bit silly for talking to her horse, but animals were good listeners.

'Of course he'll like it,' Maya seemed to say.

Noticing the chilly wind, Hannah urged her mare into a canter. She didn't like riding in the rain, and wanted to get home before it started.

* * *

 **Sorry that was so short! It was a filler to lead up to the next chapter, which should be pretty great (-:**


	11. Final Exams

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: This chapter might be a bit confusing, I'll do my best! The plot gets a whole lot more exciting in the next few chapters... SPOILER ALERT! lol Sorry guys I have a tendency to ramble in my author's notes XD**

* * *

The past week had passed in a blur. She had been practicing her skills for all they were worth, but was focusing on silent movement at Crowley's request. Apparently, according to Crowley at least, "a blind man can see Halt in the forest" so she needed to... Practice. And also... Practice. And guess what else she had been working on? Practice! Crowley said that she would be fine, but Hannah was a perfectionist and an overachiever... a dangerous combination. Wanting to do the best she could when she was evaluated at the Gathering, she had worked hard. Sitting down to take a break, Hannah ran over her skills in her head. She had no doubt she would be fine in archery; Halt had said she had more skill than most 2nd year apprentices. Crowley had taught her how to move silently and without being seen, as well as a couple of knife tricks. Her favorite was the double knife defense. Having learned of her skill with an Aridian saber, Halt had suggested that Hannah talk to Gilan about swordsmanship at the next Gathering. Hannah filed the name in her memory for the next day. Crowley's voice broke into her thoughts.

"Go get some rest," he said. "We're leaving for the Gathering early tomorrow, and you'll have a long day once we get there." Seeing her slightly worried expression, he added, "You've probably practiced more than all the other apprentices combined. If you don't pass, no one will. Go sleep." Hannah nodded, relieved. She was tired...

* * *

THE NEXT MORNING, bright and early...

* * *

Hannah groaned as Crowley shook her gently awake. "When I said bright and early, I meant bright and _early,_ " Crowley said.

"I thought you said it started at 10," Hannah mumbled, swinging out of bed.

"It does. But I have to be there first to set up. Which means that you do too!"

"I see that leadership isn't just telling others what to do, it also means taking on most of the work," Hannah told him.

"Is that an Aridian proverb?" Crowley asked. He had heard something similar before, and that seemed the most likely. Gallica had no leadership to talk about, Halt was the only Hibernian he knew, and the Skandians tended to lean on the side of, 'See that? Go hit it with you ax!' That left Aridia.

"I don't know," Hannah said carefully. "Dad used to say it when I complained about my chores." Crowley grinned.

"I wish I could have met your father." Hannah smiled sadly.

* * *

It only took Hannah a few minutes to get ready. She packed a small bag, the same one she had brought with her to Aridia when she trained Maya, with a change of clothes, her paint set (she didn't know how much downtime she would have) and, on an impulse, her spice kit. She wasn't sure why she wanted to bring that, but there was plenty of extra space. Heading out to the stable, she met Crowley, who was tacking up his horse, Cropper.

"Who should I ride?" Hannah asked. She didn't know how the other rangers would react to a huge Aridian mare.

"Umm... Bring them both. I don't know how they're going to evaluate you." Hannah nodded. She decided to start out on Maya, so that she would enter the camp riding Star. She didn't want to seem like she thought she was better than the others.

Hannah walked into the barn and whistled softly. Both mares came to her, Maya nuzzling her gently and Star quietly sniffing her hand. She moved to Star first, and stroked her nose. "Follow," she whispered. Moving to Maya, she ran a hand down the tall horse's neck and walked outside. Both horses followed her, and Maya moved towards the fence, knowing that Hannah wanted to ride her. Though she could have easily vaulted onto her back without any assistance, Hannah thought that she would like her rider to be a bit more gentle, had she been in Maya's place.

* * *

After Crowley had mounted as well, the two urged their mounts into a steady lope and continued down the trail. They weretraveling away from Redmont. If Hananh was correct, they were headed towards the sea.

"Crowley?"

"Mmm hmmm?" he answered quietly, lost in thought.

"Crowley, I'm worried about my exams." Everyone kept telling her she would be fine, but Hannah was terrified that she would somehow mess up and get kicked out of the Ranger Corps.

"Me too..." That wasn't quite the answer Hannah had hoped for.

"I thought..." Hannah drifted off.

"Hmmm? Sorry. You were saying?" Crowley seemed to have snapped out of whatever he had been thinking about, so Hannah tried again.

"I'm worried about my exams."

"Don't be, you'll do fine," the older ranger replied with startling conviction.

"But earlier, you said you were worried!"

"I am, Hannah. But not about your exams. I'm worried that I'm right. And if I am, your exams will be the least of your worries."

"Crowley, what's going on?!"

"Nothing, I hope." His tone signaled the end of the discussion. Hannah was worried. What could be so bad to make the normally chatty, good humored commandant so taciturn and grim?

Crowley urged Cropper into a faster canter, and they rode the rest of the way in silence.

* * *

The sun had just come up when Crowley brought then down to a walk. It had been a two hour ride and, apart from a brief rest in the middle, they had rode it straight through.

"We'll put the command tent here. I expect some of the older rangers will start arriving soon. Usually Berrick is at least an hour early. And Gilan won't be far behind, although I expect he'll try to surprise Halt somewhere."

"Gilan. Is that the swordsman?" Hannah asked.

"As well as Halt's former apprentice. Don't tell me you've heard about him already!" Crowley feigned surprise.

Hannah laughed. "Halt said I should talk with him."

Having finished unpacking the largest bundle, Crowley handed his apprentice the corner of a large tent. "We'll put this up in the center of the clearing. Wait to put our tent up. We may not need it." Hannah nodded, and got to work pitching the tent.


	12. The Command Tent

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: If any of you guys are like me, you've spent way too much time wondering what Halt and Crowley and all the others discussed in the command tent while Will waited outside... Well, wonder no longer! Here it is!**

* * *

Unlike the tents set up by Araluen's knights and cavalry commanders, which were large affairs with a long table and chairs inside, Crowley's tent was small, with enough room for about five people to sit cross-legged on the ground, or three with a map in front of them. Oftentimes, this was all that was needed. In the event that a larger group would be involved, smaller sleeping tents would be tied to the larger one to form one huge tent.

Crowley sat against the far wall with a map and a stack of papers. He was re-reading the reports from the previous month regarding the deaths of Loriac and Northolt. He shivered unconscionably. He knew what had happened.

And it had nothing to do with bears or heart attacks.

* * *

Crowley heard Halt's voice as he entered the camp, followed by Gilan laughing and Will shouting a greeting to someone. Hannah, probably. Crowley was clearing a way to get out and meet them when Halt opened the tent flap and sat down.

"What do you make of this business with the Kalkara?" Halt asked. Crowley appreciated his direct approach. It was far easier to face an enemy when you resign yourself to the fact that they are the ones you are facing.

"I thought the same," Crowley answered, "There is no way that a bear could have killed a hunter that experienced, or a heart attack someone who was so healthy."

"The Kalkara, on the other hand..." Halt stopped, and Crowley nodded uncomfortably. They both knew what the Kalkara could do. And neither cared to talk about it more than was necessary.

"Well, that's the first step out of the way. We know who? What? We know _what_ we're dealing with, so now we get to figure out what to do about it. The fun part!"

"Morgarath sent them, that much is clear," Halt stated, "so we should start by figuring out why."

"Revenge, probably?" It was a sign of how close of friends they were that Crowley stated this as a question. With anyone else, he would have made sure to sound more confident in his instincts.

"That seems to drive most of what Morgarath does," Halt remarked grimly, "and unfortunately means that they are going to be after one of some very important people. I'll go after them with Gilan and Will. I know that I can rely on Gilan to keep his head, and Will is a quick rider. I'll send him to Redmont to warn the Baron, and hopefully gain the help of some knights."

"Are you sure, Halt? You know what happened-"

"Of course I know what happened last time," Halt cut in, "I filed the paperwork for it."

"Don't ever complain to me about paperwork!" Crowley joked. "I'll give you some of mine!"

"Suddenly I'm very excited to go hunt the Kalkara," Halt said without a trace of sarcasm in his voice. No one except for Crowley would have recognized the joke.

"Very funny Halt. But really, be careful." Crowley said seriously. "I lost enough friends the first time we fought Morgarath. Please don't put yourself on that list."

Halt nodded. "Did you get the report about the wargals on the border?"

"Yes. I was planning on taking Hannah with me to get rid of them. Her longbow will come in handy."

"I daresay it will. Her brain will, too. She's sharper than many will give her credit for."

"I don't doubt it." Crowley agreed.

"Good luck, then." Halt rose to leave.

"To you as well. But for Goodness sake Halt, be careful for once!" Crowley pleaded.

Halt nodded. "I will. You do the same." He stepped through the tent's opening and disappeared outside. Crowley couldn't help but wonder if he was sending his friend to his death. He re-stacked the papers absentmindedly. He knew that Halt needed to pursue the Kalkara. He was the only one of them that stood even the slightest chance. He also knew that he had a job to do, so he went outside to find Hannah. They would have to leave as soon as possible. Which made him grin mischievously. "Looks like I'll have to get someone else to take care of cleaning up around here!" Crowleytold himself happily.


	13. A Different Kind of Test

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry it took me forever to update! I've been super busy with school! Anyways, enjoy the gathering- part 2! Btw, this is happening at the same time as the last chapter, but from Hannah's perspective. Here's a little something special since I'm so late XD:** **/score/58a0fc0fd212683a42acbf56-cabin-in-the-woods**

* * *

Just as her mentor had said, another ranger arrived at the campsite soon after Crowley. She assumed that this was Berrick. When he came closer, he nodded cheerfully.

"You must be Crowley's new apprentice!"

Hannah laughed. "Yes, that's me!"

"Wonderful! I'm Berrick," he said, pronouncing it "burrwick". "I'll pop in and tell Crowley I'm here, then. Mira should be fine," he nodded to his horse as he dismounted. "I'm from Seacliffe fief, so we didn't have a long ride. Only a quarter hour or so." He loosened his girth and ducked into the command tent. Impulsively, Hannah called after him.

"Berrick?"

"Hmm?" he asked, turning his head.

"Can I borrow your flute?" Hannah recognized the long, slender case secured behind his saddle.

Berrick laughed. "A good start for a Ranger, seeing that you noticed it. Sure, have fun. You know how to play?"

"I picked up a bit from a traveling entertainer. I fell in love with the sound and asked him to teach me."

"Well, at least it will give me something interesting to listen to!" the old Ranger said loudly.

"Nice to see you too, Berrick," came a muffled voice from inside the tent. Smiling, Hannah unstrapped the instrument from the saddle. Carefully, she took it out of its case. It was made of a beautiful mahogany wood, sanded and stained to a smooth, deep... mahogany color. Which made sense, seeing as it was made of mahogany.

Hannah brought the instrument up to her lips. She blew gently, creating a soft, delicate note. She recalled the song the entertainer had taught her. The name was slipping her mind... Cabin in the Trees? Wooden Cabin? Something like that. It seemed a good fit for the occasion. The refrain was sad, like a ballad, but the verses were upbeat and hopeful. It reminded her of her own past: leaving behind one life, with all it's goods and bads, and walking into another full of hope. There were words too, but she couldn't remember them.

Taking a deep breath, she began to play the intro. Soon she became caught up in the tune, and the rest of the world seemed to melt away. It was just her and the flute.

She paused to take a breath, and heard someone softly singing behind her, continuing the melody. Blushing, Hannah turned. Three rangers (and their horses) stood in the clearing.

"Don't stop in the middle!" the tall one exclaimed. "I like this song!" Beside him, Halt nodded. Hannah just blushed. She had a hard time playing in front of people.

"Goo-ing back, to the cabin in the woods," Halt started singing softly. "go-ing back, to the creek beneath the hill," Hannah began playing with him.

"There's a girl who used to be there when, I left,"

"But I doubt she'll be waiting for me still," Gilan joined in.

"Never thought I'd be gone so many years,

When I left I always planned that I'd return,

But time slips away before we know,

That's just one more lesson that we learn."

"So I'm goo-ing back, to the cabin in the woods,

Goo-ing back to the creek beneath the hill!

There's a girl, who used to be there when, I left,

But I doubt, she'll be wait-ing for me still..."

Once the last note finished resonating, Gilan spoke up. "I don't think Berrigan could have played it better, and he wrote the piece!"

Hannah flushed nervously. 'At least I know where she got her last name,' Halt thought.

"We'll have to introduce you to him! He prefers gitarra, although I thin he might play flute as well... Berrigan plays a little bit of everything," Gilan continued.

"Judging by the way things are looking right now, you may have to wait," Halt noted dismounting. "I'll go check with Crowley and see what is going on. Hannah, can you take care of Abelard?" She nodded, and began loosening his girth to rub him down.

Eyes widening, the youngest Ranger looked at Hannah, who recognized him in exactly the same instant.

"Will!"

"Hannah! It's so good to see you again! This is Gilan, Halt's former apprentice."

"The swordsman," Hannah added.

"How do you know?" Gilan asked, his surprise evident.

"Well, for one thing, you have one strapped behind your saddle... For another, Halt told me I should ask for lessons."

Gilan laughed. "He must really like you! He might have let me, encouraged me, even, to continue sword lessons, but he still went on about how a Ranger should never get close enough to their enemy to use a sword!"

"Don't worry, he told me that part too," she assured him. "Anyways, Will! How are you! I haven't seen you since Choosing Day! That must have been... 6 months ago?"

Will nodded. "Yeah. You like being a Ranger?"

"For sure. There's so much we get to do... and I like the sense of family among the corps. That was something I never had at my home."

"Yeah. I think that's what I like best."

"Do you see the others often? How are they?" Will grinned.

"Good. Believe it or not, Horace and I are really good friends now. Jenny's cooking is even better now, George has ceased to be shy and now refuses to shut up, and Alyss... Well, she's just as diplomatic as she always was."

"When are you going to tell her you like her?" Everyone at the Ward, Alyss included, could tell that Will had a crush on the graceful girl, but he never seemed willing to admit it to himself.

"I- wha- no- I don't-" Will stuttered, bright red. Gilan laughed good naturally.

"They always figure it our eventually, Will."

"And you really should ask her to dance next time you get the chance." Hannah added. She knew very well he wouldn't, but at least that would give him something to think about. Just then, Halt hurried out of the command tent.

"Hannah, pack up you tent. You won't need it tonight. Then go talk to Crowley." Hannah nodded. It was evident from the set determination on Halt's face that they had a mission.

"What about the Gathering?" Gilan asked, "Will and Hannah have to take their exams!"

"They'll have to be evaluated differently this year," Halt responded grimly. "We're going hunting."


	14. Going Hunting

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Aridian is loosely (Ok, completely) based on phonetic Arabic... Thank you, Google. I love you, Siri!**

* * *

As Halt, Will, and Gilan rode away to chase the Kalkara, Hannah hurried to prepare her horse and Crowley's. Just as she was tightening Cropper's girth, Berrick came up behind her and tapped her shoulder. Hannah jumped.

"Berrick! I thought you were still in the tent!"

"Nope! I left right before Halt got here. You get used to it eventually." Hannah nodded. Some of the ranger habits (such as disappearing and re-appearing randomly) were a bit hard to adjust to. "I'll see you around," Berrick continued, "I have to get back to my fief. Good luck!"

"You too?" Hannah responded, slightly confused. She quickly finished with the horses and then made her way to the command tent to see what was up. Crowley beat her to it.

"Help me get the tent. I'll fill you in while we work." Crowley said, jogging over to the first spike. Hannah rushed to join him.

"Are you familiar with the Wargals?" he asked.

"In legend only. I've never seen one myself."

"Well, you're about to," Crowley noted grimly. "There've been reports from Araluen's border guards about a company of the beasts wreaking havoc on the towns. Our job is to stop them."

"How? Aren't their hides strong enough to snap a sword? And their claws are doused in poison that kills you if they slash at you!"

"That's just an old Aridian legend," Crowley said, giving her a curious look, "Where did you hear it?"

"I, uh, forgot."

"OK. Anyways, they aren't invincible. Definitely fierce, but not invincible. A well-shot arrow should do the trick. We'll just have to pray we can stay at long range. A Ranger knife won't do much if we have to confront them hand-to-hand..." Crowley drifted off. Hannah could tell he didn't like their chances if that happened.

"What about a sword? Would that work against them?" Hannah asked tentatively.

"If we had a good swordsman with us, then yes. Unfortunately, your Ranger training won't help much with swordsmanship."

"My... friend... taught me to use a- an Aridian battle saber." Hannah blurted out.

Crowley stopped putting the tent away to look at her. "Tell me the truth. Every time I ask you about yourself, you freeze up. Don't get me wrong, I would trust you with my life. I am trusting you with my life. But I can tell there's something you haven't told me. I promise, whatever it is, I won't tell anyone. And I won't judge you for it."

"I- are you familiar with Princess-"  
"Ayishah! Yes. Yes, that makes sense. Wow, for the commander of a group of spies... Well, it took me a while. I assume you want me to call you Hannah still?"

"Please. Just- Just pretend that I'm not... her. That I'm Hannah Berrigan, the orphan from Redmont. It makes things a lot simpler."

Crowley nodded. "I want to know more later, mind you. For now, though, lets go find a sword." Hannah nodded. Crowley finished packing the tent. "Seacliffe Castle isn't far from here. We'll go there and you can choose a sword from the armory. I assume you won't want armor?"

"Gosh, no. That makes it impossible to move."

"Good answer. You should also choose a horse to leave in the stables so that you don't have to worry about them too. Ride the one you are more comfortable shooting from."

"I'll ride Star. She has a smoother gait, so my accuracy will be better." Crowley nodded his approval. "Also... I know that this probably isn't on top of you mind right now but... How will apprentices be evaluated this year? Halt mentioned something about a different kind of test?"

"You and Will have both passed already, as far as I'm concerned. At this point, the testing is merely a formality. We'll let the missions count as your "evaluation."

"OK, thanks Crowley," Hannah nodded, relieved.

"For now, though, we need to get moving." Both rangers mounted their horses, and they began cantering toward Seacliffe.

* * *

When Crowley had said that Seacliffe castle was "close", Hannah expected to ride for the better part of a day before arriving. As it was, they had only been out for a half an hour when the pair reached the ferry.

"We'll have to take it across the channel," Crowley explained. To the ferry master, he called out, "Good morning! We need passage for two and an extra horse."

"Free passage for Rangers. Hop on," responded the burly captain.

The ride across the channel was short, only about ten minutes. As they got off, Crowley thanked the captain, and then turned to Hannah.

"The battle master here is called Norris," he said. "He _should_ be our best chance at finding you a sword." Judging by the way he said that, Hannah could tell that the chances were small, but she agreed anyways.

The pair rode the small path to the castle, which was fairly unimpressive. Hannah knew that Redmont was grand, even for castles, but Castle Seacliffe was beyond modest and pushing the border into disrepair. From where they rode, Hannah could see rot on the western wall, which was wooden, and noticed weeds growing all around. Now Crowley's low hopes made sense. The castle had no moat, which allowed the two Rangers to ride directly to the front gate. As Crowley talked to the guards, asking for entry, Hannah frowned. The castle was obviously not here for function, but to show status. That was most definitely not the job of a baron, but oh well. It was a small, remote fief anyways. There probably wasn't much need for fortified towers...

* * *

"A sword? Why do you need a sword?" asked Norris, the (rather fat) battlemaster. "There hasn't been any trouble here in the past twenty years!"  
"And I suspect that has more to do with the success of the Ranger living here than it does your apprenticeship program," Crowley replied curtly. "As a matter of fact, the two of us are about to go chase some Wargals out of Araluen. That would be why we need a sword." Hannah noticed that he forgot to mention that the Wargals were well on the other side of Araluen. She suspected his lack of foresight might have something to do with the stunned and terrified expression on the knight's face. If he could even be called a knight. This man was obviously more interested in the meals that came with the title than the responsibilities.

"I, well, you see, I, umm, I would love to, love to help you, but, you see, we, um I, um, the castle only has enough swords, um, for our, for our apprentices!" Norris stammered. He was obviously trying to ignore the problem.

Crowley grunted in frustration, and unconsciously dropped his hand to rest on the saxe knife sheathed at his hip. Seeing trouble approaching, Hannah said, "How about this. Bring out your best apprentice, and let him have his choice of sword and armor. I'll take my pick from what is left over. Whoever wins gets a sword. Deal?"

"Of course, but you will have to wait outside. Can't have you sabotaging our equipment, now can we?" Norris said, suddenly cocky. After all, there was no way this small, slim, gentle-mannered _girl_ could beat his best apprentice in a fair fight. Hannah, on the other hand, was feeling very confident. There was no way that this man, who had probably never been on a battlefield, could teach an apprentice how to deal with her. She may be small, but she was quick, strong, and determined. Furthermore, Norris had just implied that she could do more damage outside than she could from within. He apparently had never met a Ranger before. Which meant that he would prepare his apprentice in entirely the wrong way (if he prepared him at all) and Hannah would have the definite advantage. This was going to be fun.

"We'll see you in twenty minutes," Hannah said in agreement.

* * *

In order to pass the time, Hannah and Crowley browsed through the town's marketplace, admiring beautiful shells and artful baskets made of braided seaweed. Seeing to it that this was an ocean town, this was not surprising. What was surprising, however, was the spice vendor.

"Exotic spices! Coriander, cumin, cardamom, paprika!" he shouted. "Exotic spices, straight from the dessert!"

Recognizing his accent as Aridian, Hannah inched her way through the small crowd around his spice cart.

"Tah a'leen!" Hannah called to him, "Min dawaei sruri 'ann altsarof! 'Innani daeawa alan Hannah. Kayf hu Cae li'a?" (Tah a'leen! Pleased to see you! I go by Hannah now. How is Cae li'a?) Cae li'a was Tah a'leen's wife, and Hannah's best friend. She was the one who had helped Hannah to escape, and her husband had allowed her to ride in his spice cart until they reached the Araluen border.

"Jayid jiddaan, waqalat 'annaha tukhattit ealaa alttaharruk huna qaribanaan." (Very good, she plans on moving here soon.)

"laqad sa'alt kathiraan balfiel, walikun yum'kin 'an tus'al ean shay' wahid 'akthar min dhlk?" (I've asked for so much from you already, but could I request just one favor more?)

"Bialttakidi, ya sdiqey! Ead isyf baed kel shy', hal?" (Certainly! You came back for the sword after all, did you?) he replied.

"Naeim, yeb'dow 'annani sawf tahtaj 'iilaa dahalik. Laday shay' lak zawjatan kadhalik." (Yes, it seems I will be needing it. I brought something for your wife as well.) She reached behing her neck and unfastened a delicate necklace. It was a braid of silver, with one gold stand woven in. A simple sapphire pendant hung from it. Although Cae li'a's eyes were brown, Hannah thought that it would look beautiful on her. Hannah handed Tah a'leen the necklace, who carefully placed it in a spice box in the bottom of his cart, thanking her. He then pulled out a curved saber, it's hilt made of tooled leather. The belt was braided, the sheath hand stamped with the winds of time, the family crest. Originally, Hannah thought she had left the sword with him for fear of being discovered. Later, she realized that she simply wanted nothing to do with her former life, and had ended up getting rid of everything which could prove useful.

At this point, Crowley, who had been watching their exchange with a confused expression,put a hand on Hannah's shoulder. "We should be going soon," he said quietly.

Hannah nodded. "Shukraan lakum ealaa kl shay,'' Hannah said as she bowed. ( Thank you for all you have done, my friend.)

"Hatta naltaqi marratan 'ukheraa, ya sayidatan," he replied. (Until we meet again, my lady.)

* * *

"Are you sure, Crowley?" Hannah asked. They were walking up to the castle armory. "I already have a sword, this is only time wasted."

"Not wasted, no. It will do Borris or whatever his name is well to see how awful the defense precautions are here. HE TOLD US TO WAIT OUTSIDE SO WE WOULDN'T CAUSE TROUBLE! This man needs to be taught a lesson."

"They have, what, 35 men at arms?"

"They should, yes." Crowley emphasized _should_.

"Then why don't we run in and hide the swords real quick? Give him something to think about." Crowley grinned. It would be a valuable lesson for the battlemaster. Fun, too.

"Ok, lets go," he said as he flipped his cowl up.

* * *

It hadn't taken long to move the swords. At Hannah's suggestion, they were left in the treasury, where they would stay for at least another week. Now, they were walking through the front door.

"We're ready," Crowley said. "You promised us a sword?"

"Yes, yes, this way!" Norris said, walked through the doorway, out of the training room and into the armory.

He came to a stop quickly. " I- I don't understand- I- they were here a- a minute ago!"

"What was here?" Hannah asked.

"The- the swords!"

"Don't you have 25 knights, and 10 apprentices?" Crowley asked, doing a good job of faking confusion.

"I- yes! We do!"

"Then surely you have at least one sword?" Crowley asked.

"I- I do! I have 50! I- I don't understand!"

"Well, thankfully I brought mine with me," Hannah said. "I was hoping for something a little larger, but this will work." She had, in fact, been hoping for something exactly the same as what she was holding. "I suppose that might put me at a small disadvantage, but we might as well go through with the plan anyways."

"Yes. Yes of course!" Norris said relieved. "Jerome! Jerome get in here!" he yelled. A tall bear of a boy walked in. He seemed to have just recovered from a severe beating.

"That my opponent?" he asked rudely.

"Yes. You are ready?" Norris replied.

"She a Ranger? They don't use swords," Jerome grinned. "Yeah, I'm ready." Crowley narrowed his eyes. He didn't trust this boy. He seemed like the exact type who would go through a few years with Rodney and then be expelled for disregarding the rules.

"Fair fight. Stop means drop your sword. No more blows. One and done. No follow-up matches. We'll both abide by the same rules. I assume Rodney taught you how to do all that?" The last part was a wild guess, but she remembered seeing him around Redmont, and he looked like the type to get himself banished. Not to mention he was all beaten up, and was actually fit. Norris didn't seem capable of producing an apprentice who was either of those things.

"As a matter of fact, he did," Jerome narrowed his eyes. "How do you know who I am?"

"If I recall correctly, Norris introduced us," Hannah noted. Jerome scowled.

"Just get on with it!" the bully demanded.

"You might want to be careful," Crowley cautioned, "Alda and Bryn aren't here for you this time."

"How do you know about them?" Jerome hissed.

"Oh, I'm friends with Halt. You've met, yes?" he asked, noting the boy's suddenly nervous expression. "He says you were attacking Will. We Rangers are a tight nit group!" Crowley said, enjoying every second of the boy's reaction. He had vowed that if he ever saw one of the bullies, they would pay. Again.

Hannah's eyes narrowed after hearing Jerome's track record. Crowley became certain that Jerome would pay.

"Well then, if it's all agreed, let's begin! Fair fight!" Crowley said happily.

"Fair fight," Jerome grunted. Hannah simply nodded. 'Good job,' thought Crowley, 'You would be a good courier. Technically, you didn't agree to anything, only acknowledge Jerome's agreement. That might come in handy in a moment, judging by the boy's expression." Jerome was, in fact, throwing the two Rangers murderous, if not terrified, glares.

The two apprentices stepped inside the duel circle. "Begin!" cried Norris.

Jerome lunged for Hannah immediately. It was obvious that he was relying more on brute strength than any sort of athletic ability. Hannah nimbly danced out of the way, avoiding the blow by a good foot. She could have easily ended it there, but felt that a little more humiliation was needed. She knew that Jerome would jab at her whenever she was near. So, she ducked in, waited for him to strike, and then, at the last possible second, lifted her sword and deflected his blade with a quick flick of her wrist. 'This is why I love the Aridian sabers,' Hannah thought, smiling. 'Unless you've been trained with one yourself, it's almost impossible to imagine all the defense and attack maneuvers that can be utilized.' It went on like this for a few more minutes, Jerome attacking, Hannah nimbly dodging and deflecting. Once she bored with this, she switched to offensive maneuvers. Her blade was a flurry of motion as she twisted her wrist. Left, flip and return, up and curve, quick circle. Another benefit to a curved blade: it is very, very hard to track the blade with your eyes. Hannah began moving with her attack, driving Jerome out of the ring. Seeing an opening, she smacked his head with the flat side of her blade. A reminder. This was followed by a quick flip that smacked the opposite flat side against his chest. Crowley was impressed. Hannah was good. Really good. Especially since he was pretty sure she hadn't had any sword practice in The Ward.

"You're out," Hannah said. In order to avoid actually being hit (although Hannah was careful to pull her swings back before they actually did Jerome any lasting damage) the bully had stepped a bit too far. Hannah had won. AND, as an added bonus, Jerome would have a nice, big bruise to sport in honor of his defeat.

Norris was stupefied. "We- I- You-" Crowley raised his eyebrows.

"You agreed in the beginning," he reminded him. "And Hannah played fair."

"I- No more swords!" Norris blurted, finally able to put together a sentence.

"That's fine," Hannah said, "I needed the practice more than anything. Thank you for all your help!"

"We should be going," Crowley noted. "Good luck improving your training program!" he hinted, turning to walk out. Hannah followed him, but turned her head after a step.

"Give Alda and Bryn my regards!" she said, landing a flat edge blow on the back of Jerome's head.

"You.. Said no backlash," the boy said stupidly.

"And she never agreed to her own terms! Good day!" Crowley reminded him.

Once they were outside, the two Rangers grinned at each other. "Smart," Crowley praised her.

"Thanks, Crowley!"

"Let's go get our horses back. You can leave Maya with the staff."

"Judging off of what I have seen of the castle staff so far, I think I'll ask Tah a'leen to watch her for a couple days."

"That's probably better. Regardless, we'll go get our horses. Then we're going hunting. But not for a sword this time!" Hannah grinned at his joke.

"Yeah, this was harder than it should have been. Worth it, though! I don't know what they did to Will, but if Halt found out..."

"Oh, he got what he deserved. A bit more, in fact, but I'm not complaining," Crowley finished for her. Hannah nodded, smiling. She finally had a family, one that would stand up for her, that she could talk to freely. It was a good feeling.


	15. This Time for Real

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have done a dream cast/ scenery video for chapter one! Other chapters are in progress (-:**

 **I have also published my own original composition of Cabin in the Woods.**

 **Both videos are on my Youtube channel, Crowley's Apprentice.**

 **Happy procrastination! Sorry this is so so so so soooooo late... DON'T SHOOT ME I KNOW ARCHERY! (and I'm friends with Halt... so yeah... put the bow down. Please!) I've been really busy with final exams, standardized testing, etc... Also, I have to turn my computer in soon so this may be my last update until summer is over. I don't have the patience to type on my phone. I plan on being back soon though! Thanks for being so patient, it means a lot to me. You all are amazing.**

 **P.S. I have an awesome idea for the next "mini plot line" but it doesn't really fit with this one, so you have been warned. This chapter will finish up the "Wargal War," then I'm going to skip through time a little bit because I'm honestly tired of this chapter. So sorry in advance for the weird transition!**

* * *

All she could hear was the soft thud of her mare's hooves as they cantered across the plain. Next to her, Cropper kept an identical pace, stepping at the same time as her mount. She couldn't help but think how extraordinary the ranger horses were. They were heading for the Northern Pass to intercept an army of Wargals, who could already be heard howling in the distance, and the two didn't even falter. If anything, they ran harder.

"See that?" Crowley nodded towards the center of the plain. And to most people, that was all he was pointing out.

But Hannah wasn't most people. Not anymore. She saw the subtle way the grass was bent, individual shafts sticking out in the wrong direction. And, even going at the speed they were, she could see indentations in the soft ground beneath them. Something had been through here recently. Something big.

"We're getting close to the mountains now. This might be a good time to get your bow ready. And have your sword close by, just in case. I pray we won't get close enough to need it, but caution never killed anyone except the enemy." Crowley reined his horse in as he said this, so that they were at an easy walk. Hannah could see that, despite his training, he was nervous.

"We'll go quietly from here. Try to surprise them. Or whoever is with them," he added as an afterthought. "I really hope he sent them here alone."

"Who is "he," Crowley?"

"Morgarath." Hannah shivered a bit at the name. She had heard stories of his in Aridia, and, while she was pretty sure most of them were fake, he still seemed to be quite an intimidating figure.

Crowley, being the Ranger that he was, noticed her response immediately. "I don't think we'll run into him though. The attacks on the border seem too random for him to be in direct control." Hannah nodded, relieved.

They rode on in silence, until they reached the base of the first mountain.

* * *

After about five minutes, more sounds began to join the periodic cries from the Wargals. Most were indiscernible, merely slight noises to alert the rangers of the camp's presence. Soon, though, the sounds of thudding, growling, and clashing metal could be heard. Not long after, the camp became visible, a mere dot on the horizon. Crowley leaned over and whispered in her ear.

"We'll ride around the base of the mountain, try to avoid the paths. Stick to the underbrush, and for goodness sake be quiet. Surprise is our best weapon. There are 48 arrows between us; that is enough to frighten the wargals, but it won't make a large dent on the camp. Our job is to send them packing, not to kill them all. If we lose he element of surprise, we'll have two choices: figure out how to kill them all, or run. I don't like our chances either way,but I think we do have a chance to outrun them. Just stay on your horse, no matter what happens. And if you need backup, go west. You'll see a castle soon enough, they should be able to assist you. Don't even try to get assistance from Seaclidffe." Hannah nodded, already nervous. She knew that Crowley wouldn't have told her all of that if he wasn't unsure himself, but she also knew that he would have made her stay behind if he didn't think they had good odds. So, taking a deep breath, she followed him off the path, and they began riding around the mountain.

* * *

Hiissss _thunk!_

Crowley's arrow announced the first of the Wargal sentries. There would be more to follow, Hannah was sure. She took her hands off of Star's neck so that she could hold her bow up, and guided the horse off her leg. The sounds of the savage camp became increasingly louder, but not too loud to mask the soft grunt coming from the treetops. Glancing up, Hannah noticed a sleeping Wargal. Apparently, human guards weren't the only lazy ones! Not wanting to waste an arrow, neither Ranger shot the beast.

Crowley tapped his leg with the bow, and nocked an arrow. Taking his cue, Hannah did the same. She knew that they were close, too close, to the camp, and she wanted to be nervous. She wanted to run and hide and never some back. But her training, and even more so, her pride, made her take a deep breath to steady herself and urge her mare forward. She _should_ do this. She _would_ do this. She _could_ do this.

Without warning, Crowley began firing. Scared as she was, Hannah hadn't noticed that they had reached a vantage point over the camp. She began to do the same. One by one, Wargals fell to the pair of bows, sending out arrows like deadly hawks intent on their prey. The two rangers spread the damage out over the camp, making sure to spread chaos and confusion as far as they could. The already noisy camp was in an uproar as savage beasts screamed and ran in all directions, fighting one another as they tried to find the source of the destruction. With the camp pitted against itself (and the last of the arrows shot) the two rangers turned around and cantered back the way they had came... and straight into a very awake, very angry, and very well rested sentry.

* * *

 **So you know that warning at the end of the begining? (confusing i know XD!) Well, disregard it. I'm making this into a cliffhanger instead whahahaha! I've decided to channel my inner Rick Riordan there... OK time to publish! Sorry again! The next chapter *should* be out soon.**


	16. TheRealFakeChapterYepThey'reOutOfArrows

The beast stared at them with huge, savage yellow eyes that seemed to glow with malice. Both Hannah and Crowley reached back for their quivers, and drew out an arr-oh. That's right. They drew out air. Remember that part where they shot all the arrows at the Wargal camp? Good job guys. And now there is a huge beast in front of you, and I promise he was never a prince. His name is Inigo Monstera, you killed his father. Prepare to die.

"Got any ideas?" Crowley asked Hannah desperately. "You seem to have a way with animals... Do yo happen to speak Wargal?"

"Anyone can speak Wargal," she yelled, terrified. "All you have to do is point and grunt!"

"Well, just make sure you point and grunt correctly, or else we'll both die... or worse, fail!" Crowley screamed back.

"It's called sarcasm!"

"Yeah, and that thing strapped to your saddle? It's called a sword! Maybe now would be a good time to use it?"

"Oh right!" *reaches behind her saddle, at the exact same moment that Star rears because, you know, big huge bear-monster thing?

"Onwards and upwards, but please Star, get down!" Hannah yelled, swinging the saber free of the quiver. She raced towards the Wargal (who by convenient Hollyweb magic [which is like Hollywood magic, but only works for the internet] was still standing in the same place doing some sort of overly dramatic stomp thing where he looks busy but is actually just buying time for the other characters to have a mid life crisis backstage) and realised that the author had put too much time into that last sentence to think about what came next. And so time froze with her sword lifted in the air dramatically over the creature's head and her face set in a determined expression. oh, wait! That was what was supposed to happen next! Time unfroze in time for the blade to hit the beast and he died. Then Hannah and Crowley cantered home (slowly, because, you know, its more dramatic and they totally aren't worried about escaping the furious beasts behind them who may or may not have noticed the sentry calling them for help). In front of them, a conveniently timed sunset blazed heroically. The storm had cleared just in time (oh sorry, forgot to tell you it was storming. You know, the sun was blocked out, thunder every time the Wargal pawed, lightning flashing as he roared, that kind of thing.) And they all lived happily ever after. [Almost] the end.

* * *

 **Those of you who know me for real know that this is my sense of humor, that I can be very sarcastic, and that this is how I deal with stress. Those of you who don't know me, I promise the next chapter will be "real," but I needed to vent, and I felt like it would be fun to pull random quotes from random other books/movies/sayings and use them here, plus make fun of movies in general... so basically, you can ignore this chapter. I don't think that is how either character would have reacted, so here is your five second summary; they killed the Wargals and are going home. The mission was a success. Yay. So yeah... Sorry about this, but I hope you at least found it a bit funny...**

 **P.S... Cecelia you're a great wizard you know... Actually I know you don't but I swear you are magical.**


	17. Don't Be a Hater, Even Halt Ships It!

**Sorry if I got anyone's hopes up... This isn't an actual chapter. I just wanted to let you all know that I am officially back! I now have a laptop again (at least until June) and so will HOPEFULLY be able to post often! I obviously can't guarantee anything because of school, but I'm hoping to average out to a chapter (?) a week. Hopefully. Anyways... Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me this far... Let's have fun, procrastinate too much, and write longer introductory fanfic paragraphs than our average English paper.**

 **Peace out Ranger Scout!**

 **~ _Crowley's Apprentice_**

 ** _AND NOW_ to the story! (P.S. This part is an actual chapter, I just kept the note I wrote you all a few days ago as the intro) There might not be much "action" in this chapter, but I will try to make it as funny and relatable as possible! I guess this would happen right before the Burning Bridge, but I've kinda stopped trying to find where these events fit in with the plotline of the original books because, lets face it, they just don't. OK, fine, I'll start the ACTUAL story now!**

* * *

"But Cowley, you promised!"

Will and Halt had successfully killed not one, but two Kalkara, and there was to be a huge celebration at Redmont Castle because of it.

"Fine. I'll think about it. Just remember that I need you here too, to practice," Crowley reminded her.

* * *

 ** _1 Month Later_**

* * *

Hannah was ecstatic. She was finally going to see her friends from Redmont! With the Victory Festival the next weekend, Crowley had decided to allow her to visit. Jenny had already promised her famous pies, and she knew that Horace and George would be there as well. Will wasn't sure if he and Alyss would be able to make it since they were going on a diplomatic mission but she knew that Pauline, and, she thought, Halt as well, would do their very best to make sure their apprentices could attend the festival. Baron Arald had decided that the addition of a Victory Ball would be welcomed (as, indeed, it was) and so Hannah and her friends would be attending that as well. She, Jenny, Horace, and Lady Pauline had been plotting for the past month about how they would get Alyss and Will to dance together. She thought that they had a pretty good plan, and all they needed was a time to put it into action.

* * *

Finally, the time came for Hannah to leave for Redmont. It was a bright and clear morning, the air crisp and the breeze cool. Putting her cloak on, both for warmth and camouflage, she made her way to the stables. Maia was especially beautiful this time of year, her golden coat shimmering in front of the bronze and scarlet leaves. Hannah knew that she would cause quite a stir in the town... which was exactly why she had decided to ride Star. She had no doubt that she would be glad of it later.

After a few hours in the saddle, the towers of Castle Redmont finally began to come into view. Hannah hadn't realized how much she had missed her old home. She also hadn't realized that she had come to regard it as a home. Until very recently, she had seen herself as an outsider, an Aridian in hiding who just had to fit in, nothing more. Now, she was a Ranger. She may still be an Aridian, but she wasn't trying to fit in anymore; quite the opposite. She had taken a path that would forever set her apart, make her different from every single other person in Araluen. Hannah realized that that may give her a better disguise than any amount of acting ever could. No longer would she have to wonder, 'What would a native do?' No one questioned a Ranger's habits. At least, no one talked about questioning the Ranger's habits. Hannah grinned at the thought of what Halt would say to someone who challenged his normalcy.

As she reached the castle yard, Hannah began to look around for the other wards. Near the drawbridge, she recognized a group of younger kids that the Baron had taken in. "Afternoon!" she called happily. All she got were a few surprised and mildly terrified waves. Will, on the other hand, recognized her voice and called to her. Following his voice, Hannah saw the others as well, sitting in the shade of an apple tree. Horace grinned and jumped up to greet her, Jenny winked, and Alyss smiled shyly. George was conspicuously absent. When Hannah inquired about this, Alyss said that he "considers himself far too busy to engage in matters so beneath the duty which befalls a scribe, one of the most necessary offices held by any servant of the good king Duncan, and so will regrettably have to miss the festival which hold the rest of us presently engaged." Rolling her eyes, Hannah dismounted to come sit next to the group... and Jenny's pies. she let Star loose to graze next to Tug.

"It's so good to see you all!" she said happily, giving Alyss a hug. "It seems like it's been so much longer than a year!"

"For sure," Horace responded. "Are you excited for the Victory Ball tomorrow?"

"You know I am!"

"I'll have to agree," Jenny said, smiling excitedly. I've been thinking about for _forever_!" Everyone laughed, except for Will and Alyss, who seemed a bit behind on the joke.

* * *

Hannah was just finishing putting her gown on when Halt called her. Halt had informed her that she would have Will's room while she was at Redmont, and that Will would sleep outside. Halt insisted that it would be good for him to remember that a Ranger's job is never convenient.

"Yes?" she answered.

"Hurry up. I need a word before Will gets back." Curious, Hannah opened the door.

"What do you need?" she wondered aloud.

"I need you to find a partner who isn't Will and make sure that anyone who happens to not have a partner because Horace already has asked Jenny and they are too scared to ask Alyss is suitably ridiculed for not being able to find a date until they ask Alyss for a dance."

Hannah grinned. "Of course, it will have to be someone that isn't terrified of me being a Ranger. Wouldn't it be easier just to ask George ahead of time? That's less suspicious anyhow."

"Right... Good thought..."

"Ah, but Halt! I'm an apprentice!"

"Meaning?"

"I'm not ready to think!" With that, Hannah grinned and left to finish her makeup, then go and find George.


	18. Drop the Ball

**A/N I actually have no comments (yet).**

 **P.S. I don't have any post scriptum stuff either (for once)**

* * *

Crap, Hannah thought. There is no way that HE is here.

"Who's the man in the foreign attire?" Hannah casually asked George, who she was dancing with, in the most formal way possible.

"He is an honored part of the Aridian Embassy whose diplomatic purpose in being here is the celebrate the wonderful feat which is the eradication of the Kalkara. As a secondary obligation the Embassy is also committed to searching for the bride of their honored guest, Ab dal'an, the honored servant of the good king Seley el'then, better known to us of Araluen as Selethen." Hannah nodded, mentally summarizing George's paragraph into a format that was easier to comprehend: His name is Ab dal'an and he says he is here to celebrate but really he's searching for someone. She also realized that, as long as he was here, she was in danger of being caught. Mentally, she cursed herself for wearing a dress. No one would even notice her if she wore the Ranger cloak! But with her olive skin and chestnut hair (she had died it; naturally her hair was black) she stood out in the crown of fair Araluens. Crap.

Thankfully, the song ended without Ab dal'an catching sight of her. Hannah calmly walked over to where Alyss and Will were sitting, her hand rested formally on George's arm. When she got closer to them, Will spoke.

"Are you going to tell me to dance with her too?" he asked, blushing.

"I was actually, but it turns out that Alyss and I need to talk. It's an _emergency,_ " I said meaningfully. Will looked confused.

Alyss nodded. "I'll grab my bag and meet you by the bathroom."

* * *

After I had explained to Alyss that I had a different kind of girl problem, I told her about my flight from Aridia years before, and Ab dal'an's presence at the ball. Surprisingly, she didn't look shocked until the last part. But then again, Halt hadn't either.

"I don't think you have to worry too much," the courier told me. "When you first came to the Ward, you acted like a foreigner. But then, we all did at first, so no one thought anything of it. Now though, you don't fit in anywhere-except for at the Ranger Gatherings. Yes, I know about those. I'll explain later," she added seeing my expression. "Anyways, he'd have to be pretty darn good to recognize you."

"That's the problem. We used to dress up to impersonate castle staff all the time; I could never find him, but he could always find me."

"There were two key points there; one, he was looking for you. Two, you were _dressing up_. You don't need to act out the part of a Ranger, you ARE a Ranger. So don't worry about it. Heck, ask him to dance. The easiest place to hide is often in plain sight."

"Only if you ask Will!" I retorted gaily.

"Oh, you are evil. You are just plain evil Hannah Berrigan."

"Is that a yes?"

" _May_ be."

"So yes."

"So MAYBE!"

"Fine. I'll ask the cute Aridian guy if you ask Will."

"Ooooh who said anything about him being cute?"

"I did, so shut up! It doesn't mean I like him."

"No of _course_ not. _*wink*_ Obviously it means absolutely nothing. Duh."

"That, Miss Alyss, is 100% correct."

"OK George. Go find a partner."

"So it IS a yes!"

"OK fine I'll ask Will to dance. But if he says no-"

"He won't."

"Well, if he does..."

"Sure Alyss, whatever you want. Have fun." I turned to leave when I thought of something. "But don't you go telling him to say no! You have to actually try!"

"Fine," she said with a fake sigh.


	19. The Fate of the Stupid

**A/N ThePeculiarAvenger you should find "sumpum" about 3/4 of the way through this VERRRRY amusing, seeing to it that you like to point it out. Tell me when you find it (:**

* * *

 _WHY did I EVER agree to this?_ Hannah thought frantically. Across the ballroom, Alyss and Will were swaying together in time with the music; they were a slightly mismatched couple due to Alyss's height (and Will's lack of it) but anyone watching could see that, with the addition of the usual teenage nerves, they were having a great time. Which meant that Hannah had to ask Ab dal'an to dance, or else Alyss would be mad at her. _Well, I may as well get it over with now, then I can pretend to be sick and leave early. I'm sure Halt would back me up; he hates this type of thing._ Indeed, Halt did seem a little bit out of place sitting next to Pauline, who was graceful and elegant enough to be a queen. Which, given Halt's parentage, was a little bit ironic.

Not that anyone was going to point that out to him.

Scanning the crowd again, Hannah spotted Ab dal'an next to the dessert table. _Typical boy,_ she thought fondly. For all of his annoying qualities, Hannah realized that she had missed him. Though she would take slight regrets over forced marriage any day.

"Find something good?" she asked the honorable Ab dal'an, servant to the good king Seley el'then and here on the pretense of trying to resist Jenny and Chubb's cupcakes. He spun around quickly, surprised to see her there. Which was exactly as Hannah had planned it. She knew what he would say, and she knew how she would answer.

"Oh! Sorry, I didn't see you there..." he left the last part of the sentence off, an unspoken request for her name- which Hannah was not about to give.

"Yes, we Rangers have quite a habit of that," Hannah smiled.

"Oh! I, um, didn't recognize you..." Again, Ab dal'an was hoping to catch her name. Again, Hannah "failed'' to notice.

"I'd imagine not. Seeing to it that the only time we would have met I was in uniform." Which was kind of true, if she counted herself as a separate person from Ayishah and counted Cassandra's gown as part of her royal uniform.

"Right. Well, um, would you care to dance Miss..." Ab dal'an racked his brain, trying to figure out where he had seen this person before. He felt like it was on the top of his mind, but barely out of reach.

"I would love to, my lord." Hannah knew that his proper title was "Honored Servant," but most Araluens wouldn't know that. It was an Aridian custom, and one which seemed very belittling to most who weren't from the dessert country.

Ab dal'an, for his part, accepted her answer with a nod, not bothering to correct her etiquette. He was frankly tired of explaining that the "servant" part of his title referred to his duty to God, while the "honored" part his status in the kingdom. Most Araluens just didn't get it.

Hannah allowed Ab dal'an to guide her onto the dance floor, hoping that he wouldn't ask too many questions. Then, for the first time, she realized that she had stopped thinking of herself as Ayishah- she really was a different person! She smiled inwardly, and figured that she might as well have some fun being culturally ignorant. After all, the Rangers knew next to nothing about Aridia and she was FINALLY not expected to know everything beforehand.

"How come you wear the keffiyahs if you're already so tan?" she asked innocently. After all, it could come in handy if Rangers ever needed to be in the dessert!

"The sun in our home is much stronger than it is here," he answered. Then, something clicked in his brain. "But surely you already know that!" Nervously, Hannah smiled, taking care to keep her steps even.

"I can't say that Crowley has ever sent me to Aridia. Most of our efforts are centered elsewhere." No need to tell him where.

"I see."

They danced in silence for several more minutes before Ab dal'an spoke again.

"I don't suppose the cowl on your Ranger cloaks serves the same purpose as our keffiyahs, does it? After all, there isn't much sun in the woods."

"No of course not. But there is sun OUTSIDE of the woods, and we Araluens aren't used to the amount of sun you Aridians claim to have."

"I suppose that's how you got so tan then? Your sensitive skin?"

"Well, it certainly played a part."

"I'm sure." Hannah figured that this would be a good time to leave, but she couldn't find a graceful way to do it, and the song didn't seem to be close to ending.

"So tell me, how did you manage it? We were searching for weeks!"

"Searching for what? I swear that no Ranger has stolen anything from Aridia in at least the past five years."

"Not even a horse? Or my heart?" _Stop. Just. Stop. You didn't give a damn about what I was doing before I left, don't stop now._

"Of course not. As far as I know, no Araluens have even BEEN to Arrida in the past five years," Hannah answered, suitably offended. Ab dal'an frowned a bit, worried he had made a mistake.

"What about Aridians? Do you know of any who have visited Araluen in the past five years?"

"Obviously." Ab dal'an cursed his stupidity. She was sharp.

"Any Aridians other than me?"

"Of course. There- in the corner. The guys getting themselves drunk." Hannah sincerely hoped that he would choose to stop dancing and go berate them for drinking on duty; or just for drinking. Neither was tolerated in Arrida. Unfortunately, Ab dal'an sincerely hoped that she would slip up, and so chose to continue dancing and berate his escort later.

"Anyone who isn't in my party?"

"No," she replied, knowing full well that she, the future Emrikir, would be marked down as a part of the Aridian party, and so this wasn't a lie.

Ironically enough, positions of power in Arrida were passed on through the mothers line, however a woman needed to be married to assume them.

"I see. I suppose that you would be aware that the Princess would, of course, be listed on the travel ledger under my group." _Crap. He must have been studying._

"I was not, however that is certainly a useful fact to keep in mind." Hannah knew that her posture was stiff, and she hoped that Ab dal'an, whose hand was still on her back, would attribute it to wounded dignity instead of fear.

"Undoubtedly. It is something that a Emrikir would do well to know."

"I'm sure. Although I hear that the Skandians can get by if they are simply able to wave an axe single-handed."

"Don't change the topic," he answered coldly. He wasn't used to not getting his way.

"Noted," Hannah answered in an equally friendly manner.

"Don't try to deny your identity."

"I haven't, not since I became a Ranger."

"I know who you are."

"I don't think you do."

"You may be surprised."

"I highly doubt it." At this point, it was only the hours of diplomatic training that they had each gone through that kept their feet moving. Both would have by far preferred to stop and shout. Both knew that they did not have that option.

"I don't."

"Then try me." Unlike her "argument" with Alyss earlier, this exchange was not playful. Nor was it even friendly.

"You are Princess Ayishah of Arrida, a nation second only to the kingdom of Heaven. And don't try to deny it. I recognized your accent when you spoke at the dessert table. Only an Aridian would pronounce "something" like that. You came to Arrida last twelvemonth, and when you left you took with you one of our Dessert Gold. You betrayed your honor and the honor of your kingdom when you fled, and you left your husband-to-be alone and dejected."

"I regret to inform you of your mistake. My name is Hannah Berrigan. I am a Ranger of Araluen, currently stationed as the apprentice of Araluen castle and the surrounding fiefdom. Formerly, I traveled the country as a minstrel, learning my trade along the way. I wish you luck in finding your princess, and wish to thank you also for a _delightful_ dance." She said all of this coldly and matter of factly. Most men would have been cowed simply by the accused look in her eyes. To his credit, Ab dal'an was not- he was, however, aware that traveling minstrels often picked up queer accents, and was unsure for the first time about who this girl really was. Turning on her heel, Hannah walked away, heading towards Halt, who was sitting alone.

"Halt! Why aren't you and Pauline dancing?" Hannah asked, a slight edge in her voice still. The key word was slight. Even Halt barely picked it up.

"Don't know how," he replied gruffly.

"Nonsense. She could teach you."

"That's what I said too!" Halt jumped. Unlike Hannah, he hadn't noticed the graceful woman making her way back.

"I doubt I'd be very good. Crowley used to say I'd break someone's feet if I tried."

"The key word, Halt, is that I used to say. Actually, that's wrong," he said thoughtfully looking at the ceiling. "I still say that. But I also say that if you two don't dance by the end of this, I'm afraid I will have to demote you to a bronze oakleaf until you can gain some self confidence." Pauline hid her smile. Halt, who had been determined not to move a muscle when Crowley began, jumped out of his chair to face his friend.

"WHAT! You wouldn't!"

"I would. I believe Miss Berrigan would be the perfect mentor." Crowey's eyes sparkled. Hannah saluted in a fairly accurate depiction of an over-eager apprentice trying to appear respectful, causing Crowley to laugh and Halt to roll his eyes.

"Not another one. I need for coffee for this."

"Oh no you don't!" Chorused five voices at once. Alyss and Will had joined the group.

"I would ask you to dance myself Halt, but proper etiquette calls for you to approach me."

"If I had my choice, we would just burn all of those darned etiquette books and be a lot happier for it."

"If you had your choice, Halt, we would never get anywhere with foreign policy."

"Or with women!" Alyss and Hannah chimed in, after glancing at each other. If Horace had been there, he would have rolled his eyes at the longstanding joke regarding his table manners.

"Fine," Halt conceded gruffly. "Pauline, it would do me a great honor if you should find me a suitable partner for the next dance. There, was stuffy enough for you?" he asked, turning to the rest of the group.

"That will do nicely, Halt. But I see no reason to wait fr the next song," Pauline said as she gently took his arm and led him to the dance floor.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ab dal'an watched the exchange with growing doubts. If this really was the renegade princess, she was a very convincing actor.


	20. Sorry Guys

Soooo...

I had a plan and then I forgot. I remember where I was going, but not quite how to get there. Time to vote!

 **1) Would you rather: (please PM this one)**

a) Skip to Skandia (this is a BIG skip folks)

b) Send Hannah on a diplomatic mission with Pauline because Alyss is somewhere else

c) Send Hannah to practice swordsmanship with Gilan

d) Suggest something else to me

*Write your answers down then read the next chapter* *I felt bad because I forgot so you get this instead*

 **2) Which is better,**

a) coffee

b) tea

c) lemonade

d) water-it's healthy!

 **3) The most useful survival skill is...**

a) Strength. When in doubt, punch someone.

b) Wit. You can talk your way out of anything.

c) Speed. You have a blindingly fast attack.

d) Planning. You'd never need anything else!

 **4) You would most like to...**

a) Not make a fool out of yourself in gym class.

b) Not die next time you have to speak in front of a group.

c) Bake something that doesn't burn.

d) Run a marathon. Like, a real one.

 **5) The best book is...**

a) Percy Jackson

b) Little Women

c) Among the Hidden

d) Ranger's Apprentice


	21. Don't Kill Me

If you didn't write down your answers, go back and do that now. I present... Cast Reacts to RA Quiz Results!

 **1) Would you rather: (please PM this one)**

a) Will- Please... The rest is just embarrassing!

b) Alyss- Oooh, does this mean I get to watch her politely yell at someone else for once?

c) Gilan- Yes Please! I need to show these Aridians what a master swordsman looks like *rolls up sleeves eagerly*

d) Me- If you must.

 **2) Which is better,**

a) Halt- Good. I didn't really want to kill you.

b) Will and Gilan- You better run fast.

c) Will, Gilan and Halt- WHAT? I WILL KILL YOU FOR THAT INSULT

d) Halt- Actually, coffee keeps me awake. Which keeps me from being killed while on sentry duty. And you're saying that water is good for me?

 **3) The most useful survival skill is...**

a) Horace- See Halt? Even the author agrees with me! Halt-Every question has three incorrect answers Horace. That was one of them. Horace- Oh.

b) Jenny- It works great until you get overconfident. _Will._ Give me my ladle or I will hit you with a frying pan instead.

c) Halt- So does a fly.

d) Halt- I have to say I might agree. *slaps your face after you look relieved* Halt- Didn't plan for that did you? Planning only works if you plan for the worst too.

 **4) You would most like to...**

a) George- hear, hear! As a scribe, I have no conceivable reason for physical exertion and yet I serve a valuable office for the king.

b) Alyss- Really? Is that actually an issue? How do you survive school?

c) Jenny- Good goal. Keep in mind that if you fail I'll whack you with my ladle.

d) Steve- I'll lap you twice. Everyone else- CAPTAIN AMERICA!? Where did you come from?

 **5) The best book is...**

a) Alyss- One word. Percabeth. Halt- *cough* Will *cough*

b) Will- REALLY Horace? Horace- What?! Jo's cool! Cassandra- *slaps Horace*

c) Will- Now you know how I felt at the Ward. Gilan- Bad at hiding? Because I have at least 100 tips for them each chapter...

d) Halt- Gorlog's beard, next time they'll say there were FIVE boars, and I killed them all with my saxe knife! Pauline- Don't curse, dear.


	22. Halt Helps Out

Halt was riding back to his cabin when the Aridian delegation came to meet him. Leading them was Ab dal'an the young ambassador that Halt had noticed Hannah dancing with the night before. Hannah had seemed upset about something afterwards, now that he thought about it. _I'll have to be careful what I say. He might have gotten too close to the truth._ Halt knew that people usually saw what they expected to, but Hannah always carried herself confidently, and in the ball gown she had worn it wasn't a stretch to imagine her as royalty. _Which is exactly why I always wear my Ranger's cloak. Especially around Hibernia._

As Ab dal'an drew level with him, Halt stiffly made the customary Aridian gesture, symbolizing the dessert proverb "we will eat, we will think, we will talk." Ab dal'an returned the gesture, a little more warmly, and flipped his keffiyah back. It was a custom the Aridians had adopted to converse with the Araluens more easily. Hal kept his cowl up.

"What do you need?" he asked gruffly, phrasing it more as a statement than a question.

"I have something I would like for you to deliver to the apprentice Ranger, Hannah Berrigan."

"She left yesterday," Halt lied. "I suppose she didn't want to be terrorized by some foreigner over her skin color." Halt figured that was a good guess as to what happened during their conversation. Of course, Hannah wouldn't have been so concerned about her skin as she would her kin, but no one else needed to know that.

"Umm, well, I'm, um, I'm very sorry?" Ab dal'an stuttered. Halt got the feeling that he wasn't used to apologizing to anyone- and also that his inference was correct.

"You should be," he answered icily. Someday, this man would inherit the thrown- and when he did, he would need manners that his father obviously had not taught him.

"I, well, I umm, I need you to give her this letter."

"That may be, but I need to attend to matters of diplomatic importance." Halt knew that this letter probably was of diplomatic importance, seeing to it that it was being sent between royalty, however the added implication that Hannah was who she claimed to be wouldn't hurt.

"I… I realize that, but… Could you... please… give it to her? Umm, when you have time I guess."

"I'll try," Halt said after a moment. "But no guarantees." Taking the letter, he tapped Abelard's sides and the horse shot away. Halt smiled momentarily as he noted the surprised and humbled expression on the boy's face. _It'll do him good,_ Halt thought. Besides, he had been born for these encounters. Quite literally.

* * *

When Halt got back to his cabin, he carefully examined the seal, then made a stamp for his box of "official" document tools. He had the Aridian standard, but the other nobility in Arrida was a bit of a mystery. He made a note to ask Hannah for a few of the dignitaries' seals later. It could come in handy, and, knowing her, she had at least 2 or 3 for her own use.

Having duplicated the seal, Halt carefully pried open the letter. While he had no qualms about reading other people's mail to track a case, this was different. Hannah already had enough on her plate without a jealous teenage boy, and he wanted to make sure that this letter wasn't something that would add to it.

Halt unfurled the parchment and began to read. He noticed immediately that it was written in the common tongue, not using the swirling Aridian characters Ab dal'an would be used to.

 _To the Ranger Berrigan,_

 _I am writing this now to apologize for my behavior last night. It was not right for me to pressure you into admitting your identity._

Like she would have even if it _was_ right for you, Halt thought.

 _I would like to offer my friendship once again- I miss you Ayishah, and surely you understand that. I know that you will never reply to this. I know you will think this is a trap._

She'd be stupid not to, now that you mentioned it.

 _I know that it isn't, and I know that my word will not be enough._

She's a princess, not an idiot.

 _Because I know that you won't let me tell you in person, I want you to know that my apologies stretch farther than last night. I know how you felt when you were younger- alone, useless, unable to make a difference. Your father, Seley el'then, knew this. He knew you weren't happy Ayishah. He knew that you could never have any influence in Aridian politics without a husband. I think that he hoped that, by letting you marry me,_

Halt considered throwing the letter across the room simply because Ab dal'an implied that Hannah had _any_ say in the matter, but restrained himself.

 _letting you marry me you would be able to reach your full potential as a leader. I know you don't need me for that- and I know that you're probably mad at me know for ever thinking you wanted my help. I know you always liked to solve your own problems, Ayishah. But I also know our culture. It's been around thousands of years, nothing will change now, because of one person._

Unless that one person happens to be a Ranger. There's a reason for the old saying.

 _I'm sorry. I should have said something, suggested that you make the choice. But I was scared, and I was selfish._

And I suppose that has changed?

 _For me, it was a dream come true. I never thought about how you would feel. When you tried to tell me, I tried my hardest not to listen. The day they found you were missing was the worst day of my life. It was like I was hearing everything you had said for the first time. Your father thought you had been kidnapped, and his advisors agreed. The Forgotten had been active, as you probably knew. As I knew. I wanted to tell Seley el'then what had happened, that you had run away, but I was too scared to tell him why. I knew he would ask, so I kept to myself. I was scared, Ayishah. I was scared that they would find you. Kidnap you for real this time, and that no one would know. When they didn't find you, I thought that had happened. I thought it was my fault._

Just now figured that out, did you?

 _When I saw you yesterday, it was like all those years of guilt had been wiped away. I was thrilled. When you asked me to dance, I thought you would tell me who you were, why you had left._

You idiot! WHY did you ask him Hannah? And Ab dal'an did you seriously need to hear why she had left? You didn't have enough reasons already?

 _But you didn't. Ayishah, I know you will never come home. I know that now. But I hope that, maybe, some day, you will at least write to us. Tell us that Ranger Berrigan is doing well. I know now that you really aren't Princess Ayishah- she is gone, and I will tell my father that I have finally accepted that. She is gone- but Hannah Berrigan is left in her place. I wish you luck on your journey as a Ranger, Hannah._

 _Love always,_

 _Ab dal'an_

Even Halt had to admit that it was a touching gesture, though the wording could have been improved a bit. He quickly scrawled a note to Hannah, then re-furled and re-stamped the letter.

* * *

Hannah was surprised when she got back to Halt's cabin to find a cup of coffee sitting on the table, next to a scroll with her name on it. She had been expecting a quick goodbye from Halt, but maybe he had somewhere else to be. As she got close, however, Hannah noticed the stamp on the letter. It was Ab dal'an's. She was going to need that coffee after all.

Once opened, there was another, smaller piece of parchment on top of the scroll. It seemed to have been written by Halt.

 _Hannah-_

 _I have to apologize. When Ab dal'an gave me this letter, I suspected the worst and so took the liberty of reading and re-sealing it for you. Before you start let me give you a word of advice. Don't tear it up halfway through. He almost makes up for his stupidity in the last few sentences. I also want you to know this, although you should have figured it out already. You are a Ranger, Hannah, and because of that, you will never be without a family. We are your family now. I know how terrifying it is to start over in a new country, and I know the feeling of isolation, even as you are accepted. When you are a Ranger, you will always be isolated from the Araluens- but you will never, ever be alone. I just wanted you to hear that from me._

 _-Halt_

 _P.S. Of course you wouldn't have a copy because you would never think of forgery, but if you can find them I should like to see some of the Aridian dignitaries seals. Purely for curiosity's sake._

Hannah laughed out loud.

"Sure, Halt. Curiosity's sake." She turned around to smile at the grizzled Ranger, who had been watching unobserved (or so he thought.)

"Well, do you have a copy?"

"Selethen told me only to give them to close family," Hannah smiled. She used his Araluen name intentionally. "I'll have Crowley send you a copy of each with the next dispatch."

"Thank you, Hannah." Halt said. Then, he surprised her, stepping forward to hug her. "Take care."

"Thanks Halt. You too. And thanks for the note."

"I mean it, Hannah. If anyone ever gives you trouble, let me know. Or Crowley," he added as an afterthought.

Hannah smiled. "Should I read the letter now, or wait until I'm back home?"

"I'd wait. The further away you are, the less I'll have to worry about explaining Ab dal'an's newly broken nose."

"Is it really that bad?"

"No, but your temper is," Halt said, completely recovered from his bout of kindness.


	23. Horace Makes a Bet

Halt's suggestion had been a good one, Hannah thought. She was currently sitting in on a war planning meeting, while Crowley advised the king. Gilan, Will and Horace had left the previous week to bring reinforcements from Celtica, and right now the meeting was centered on what to do with the extra troops. Or they were, until Halt came in, supporting a half-asleep Gilan.

"My lord," he greeted the king weekly.

"King Duncan, this is Ranger Gilan, attached to Meric Fief." Halt's voice was considerably stronger, and filled the tent easily.

"My lord- there will be no reinforcements from Celtica. Morgorath has them bottled up in the Southeast."

"They've surrendered?" Duncan asked.

"No, but they cannot leave."

"How do you know this?" Crowley asked curiously. A Ranger's method of gathering information was always an interesting story- and one that could prove useful during strategy planning.

"While we were traveling, we came across a lady's maid who had escaped when the rest of the party was murdered by Wargals. We almost took her for a boy with her hair cut short."

"Did she give you a name?" Hannah asked, not realizing the King's pale face.

"Yes, Evanlyn. She didn't give a surname."

"Evanlyn… That was my daughter's lady in waiting," Duncan whispered.

* * *

"Halt, I need permission to go after Will." Earlier, Gilan had taken a company of lance-men to meet up with the Princess, only to be met with Horace's news- the bridge had been destroyed, but Will and the girl had been captured. Naturally, Gilan blamed himself.

"I'm sorry, Gilan. You're needed here."

"But… Halt!"

"You don't think that I don't want to turn over every rock in Celtica looking for them?" Halt exclaimed. "Gilan, we both took an oath when we earned these oak leafs. We have to think about the country." Halt turned away quickly to hide his tears, Gilan realized that King Duncan was probably just as frustrated as he was.

""I'm sorry Halt- I just…"

"I know," the older Ranger said quietly. "I know. But we need you here, to run the troops through Thorntree. And it would be great if you could work with Hannah on her swordsmanship. It would be good to have a couple unexpected experts."

"Halt, I can't make her an expert in a few hours," Gilan said helplessly.

"I think you'll find you don't need to. Just don't tire yourself out."

* * *

"Crowley!" Hannah called, "One second!"

"What do you need?"

"Can I take a patrol into Celtica to try to find Will? And Cassandra," she added quickly.

"I'll go too," added Horace, who had slowed down to listen to the conversation.

"No. Neither of you are going. I need you here."

"Please, I-"

"No."

"Sir, if I may ask, why are we needed here?"

"You are to be Sir Rodney's shield-bearer," Crowley told Horace.

"Does that mean that I get to run a sword through Morgorath if he comes near?"

"Only if you promise to give me the first swing," Hannah joked.

"Upon my honor, I swear I will," Horace said with mock seriousness.

* * *

The clanging of metal on wood rang out across the battlefield as Hannah and Gilan sparred. Both had to admit the other was good, an expert even. Hannah noted that Gilan's straight blade held several advantages: he could easily switch hands, for one thing. Hannah's curved saber made that nearly impossible. Gilan also had the heavier sword, while Hannah's was better adapted to quick movements and offensive maneuvers. She had to leave the defense to a shield, whereas Gilan could simply block her strikes with his sword. Gilan, meanwhile, realized that, while he had the advantage in strength and experience, Hannah was amazingly agile and light on her feet, and she had mastered a series of wrist motions that made her blade into a blindingly fast blur. Another advantage of the curve, and one to be remembered, he thought.

"Gilan! Come here!" Halt shouted from the command tent. "Time to move!"

Nodding at Hannah, who smiled in return, Gilan made his way to Thorntree with Halt.


	24. Which Hannah Remembers

"Halt, I won't let you violate the flag of truce; not even against Morgorath." Duncan warned.

"I don't trust him."

"None of us do, Halt. But the king is right, we can't shoot him under truce," Crowley reminded him.

"Damn this protocol. The war could be over by now."

"Halt, it isn't that we don't want you to shoot him, I don't think any of us have any sort of regard for this murderer. But if you shoot him under truce, we'll lost the trust of other countries. We can't risk that," Hannah mentioned.

"Like I said earlier, damn it all to hell."

The group paused for a second as the white flag was brought nearer.

"I would like to invoke my rights." Morgorath called as he drew closer.

"You have no rights, traitor," called the king.

"Hang on a moment, Duncan," Crowley said quietly. "Single combat could be the answer to this- it could end our problems quickly, without further loss of life from your men."

"Very well," he replied, then called out, "You may make your challenge, traitor."

Morgorath smiled, a cold, chilling smile. "Then by my rights from God, I challenge... Halt O'Carrick to a duel."

"I forbid you to accept!" Duncan yelled as Halt opened his mouth to answer.

"I acc-"

 _BANG!_ "I challenge you to single combat!" Horace cried out, throwing his gauntlet at Morgorath as he did.

"NO," said Halt and Duncan forcibly. Hannah swallowed, hoping that Morgorath would decline. She knew he wouldn't.

"Very well. How will we fight?" the black-clad man asked coolly.

"As we are."

"One moment, Horace." Hannah said quietly, resolved to her fate. "You promised me something earlier." Baron Arald, Halt, Crowley, Battlemasters Rodney and David, and King Duncan watched, puzzled, as realization dawned on Horace.

"No. No, I didn't mean it. No!"

"Whether you meant it or not, Horace, you promised me, on your honor, that I would get the first blow, if the chance came. The code of chivalry is strong. You have challenged Morgorath to a duel- in doing so, you have broken your oath. If I don't take your place, you will be banished."

"Surely, in this case, the rules can be bent. You don't have the training to take him on."

"Training or not, Battlemaster Rodney, the law is the law. You cannot change it because you know the offender."

As Hannah nudged her horse into a walk, Crowley grabbed her arm. "Hannah, please. As the one that the oath was made to, you can choose to ignore it. Walk away. Please."

"Crowley, a very wise man once told me that there is no shame in making the wrong choice to save a friend."

"That same man once said that there is no shame in walking away so that you can run back later. Don't do this. Let me face him myself," Halt said grimly, knowing full well that there was nothing he could do to stop her, and that none of Crowley's other quotes could either.

"I'm sorry," Hannah said simply. "I've spent my whole life searching for my family, Halt. I won't let them down now."

Raising her voice, she called, "We will fight as we are!"

"Very well. Ready?" Morgorath sneered. After all, he was facing a mere if she did wear a Ranger's cloak.

Besides, she didn't even have her sword out yet, and Morgorath was already thundering towards her and her delicate palomino.

And Hannah never got the chance to get it out either. She did, however, have a plan. Right before Morgorath's horse crashed into hers, she pushed her mare to the side, sending her opponent straight into the side of Arald's suitably sized mount. In less diplomatic words, the horse was quite large, and dwarfed Morgorath's smaller unkept white stallion.

"Good girl, Maia,' Hannah whispered, drawing her sword as they danced out of the way. Meanwhile, the rest of the party backed out of the way, except for Rodney who was busy helping his friend recover his seat. By the time Hannah Morgorath had recovered, the area surrounding the two was empty, and men from all over the battlefield were watching the duel with growing unease.

Morgorath began another charge, and Hannah sheathed her her sword. "Why did she do that?" Halt asked angrily.

"That thing is no good on the offensive. Not against a broadsword," Gilan answered. "But she should have attacked him while he was down. She wasted a fine opportunity!"

"She's smarter than that," Crowley interjected. "She has a plan. I don't know what it is, but it's there."

Hannah danced out of the way again, her horse considerably more nimble than her opponent's.

"Well, she can't keep doing that forever!" Gilan snapped. He had already failed Will and the princess, now he felt like he had failed Hannah too.

Morgorath wheeled his horse around again. This time, Hannah didn't move. She knew that he wouldn't waste his energy on a strike, not now that he knew she wouldn't move.

Not while he was in front of her, at least.

As soon as she was behind his field of vision, Hannah used her Saxe knife to cut the horses croup, then re-sheathed it in one fluid motion. When Morgorath, taken by surprise, managed to turn the out-of-control battle horse around, Hannah was right behind him, holding her still-strung bow, her last arrow notched on its string. Hannah fired, aiming for the hole in his visor. She missed.

Or so Morgorath thought. In reality, she had hit her mark exactly. Already angered by the stab at it's croup, an arrow to the thigh was more than the stallion could handle. Taking advantage of the confusion as the horse reared, Hannah used her bow to yank the helmet off Morgorath's head, and his body off the horse. Dropping the bow, she jumped down from her mare, drawing her saber in the same motion.

"What is she doing? She should have stayed mounted, where she has the advantage! Especially sine she has no armor!" Battlemaster David whispered frantically. For the first time that day, Gilan smiled.

"She doesn't need it, father. Watch."

During her training with Gilan, Hannah had realized that a master swordsman could fight with both hands. She couldn't with her sword, but she knew plenty of ways to confuse her enemy. Hannah began slowly stepping towards her enemy, twirling the sword above her head, she tossed it from hand to hand, flipping it, swishing it, and creating a blur of motion. It had taken Gilan a few minutes to adapt to fighting against the swirling mass of sword- she was hoping that all Araluens were the same. She knew that most would have told her to stay on the horse, to keep the high ground, but here, she knew that she was stronger. Morgorath fought with brute strength while mounted, and she didn't stand a chance. Here, it would be a contest of speed- and she knew that she had better reflexes. Of course, she didn't know for sure, but she knew from experience that her instincts were usually right.

Hannah's first blow took Morgorath completely by surprise. He hadn't expected her to stop her tricks and lunge out at him. Hannah proceeded to rain blow after blow on whatever part of the traitor's body she could reach, knowing that she could do nothing more than dent his armor and maybe break a bone. Her small sword wouldn't penetrate his armor. While Morgorath tried to block her blows, Hannah mentally prepared herself. The timing would have to be perfect, or she was dead. When, finally, she felt Morgorath's sword connect with hers, she dropped the blade, bringing her left hand up to deflect his sword with her Saxe knife. At the same time, she drew her throwing knife with her right hand. As her opponent thrust his sword at her again, thinking he had won, Hannah ducked, throwing her Saxe into his visor as she did. This time, the weapon penetrated, and Morgorath fell down, very much dead.

"What were you thinking! Don't you dare EVER try anything that stupid again, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" Crowley yelled running out to meet her. "What were you thinking?" he repeated, gently this time.

"I'm sorry, Crowley," Hannah said, genuinely feeling bad for worrying her mentor.

"You're going to have to teach me that later," Gilan said.

"Shut up, you'll give her more ideas," Crowley said.


	25. He's Gone

"Why Halt thinks I need more paperwork beats me," Crowley said, walking into the office with a folder full of papers. Hannah looked up from the map she had been studying.

"Foldar?" she guessed.

"Yep. That and he wants to go chase after Will."

"You don't?"

"I do, but I know that I'm needed here! Unlike Halt!"

"I agree. Gilan could easily take over the Foldar case," Hannah noted, fully realizing that Crowley meant Halt didn't realize he was needed, not that Crowley was needed and Halt wasn't.

"That is not what I meant."

"I know. But you have to admit that he could."

"Halt is better."

"Of course. But Gilan is close in second."

Crowley sighed. "With the amount of detail in these files, you'd think he's planning on going anyways. Halt never writes detailed reports."

Hannah was about to say that maybe he was when someone rapped on the door.

"Come in, as long as you aren't bringing me paperwork!" Crowley called.

"You might wish I was, after I explain what happened," the king said, opening the door. Hannah stood up to leave, but Duncan waved her back to her seat.

"What is it?" Crowley asked, the worry in his voice barely concealed.

"Halt."

"What happened? What does he need! I'll get someone-" Crowley paused as the king held up a hand, warily shaking his head.

"He was caught in a tavern last night, in front of witnesses. He apparently got drunk. Started treasonous talk about my lineage. Some stevedore tried to steal his money, he knocked him out in a couple seconds. Captain of the Guard tried to arrest him, he held up his bow and nocked an arrow. Looked like he would've shot it, but his bowstring snapped."

"I don't believe it," Hannah said.

"Halt never had a good head for alcohol," Crowley said sadly.

"No- I don't believe that his bowstring snapped. Do you have any idea how much he's told Will and I to check it every night? There's no way that Halt would have let his bowstring get so frayed that it would snap."

"Regardless, treason is treason- I'll have to either execute or banish him tomorrow," Duncan said, resting his head in his hands.

"Banishment… How is that worded here?" If the term was as loose as in Arrida, Hannah had an idea.

"I don't know! Why does it matter?"

"Because if the law is loosely worded, banishment does not have to be permanent."

"How do you know this?" Duncan asked, surprised.

"I grew up with George," Hannah said without missing a beat.


	26. Halt Said

**A/N I won't be updating this as quickly as I used to because I have started a new fic, For the 107** **th** **Time. I will still update this (hopefully frequently!) but I'll be alternating between the two fics. Just a heads up!**

 **Also- Welcome to the beginning of book 4! I will be changing things considerably, so this should be fun.**

Hannah had just finished labeling the map Crowley had assigned to her when someone tapped, gently but firmly, on the door. Pushing the map to the side, Hannah rose to greet her visitor. It was a tall, graceful blond woman.

"Pauline! What brings you all the way to Araluen?" Hannah asked, pleased to see her. "Did you bring Alyss with you?"

"Unfortunately not. She's representing me at the Corps Assembly." Hannah nodded. She knew that the diplomatic corps met yearly, just as the Rangers did.

"If you didn't go too, then I assume that you had a pressing conflict," Hannah guessed.

"I do. Halt has run into some trouble in Skandia, and he has requested the aid of several Arridan troops. He said that you would be a helpful person to have along."

"Probably. But I thought that Halt was banned from communication within the kingdom for the next year?"

"Tell me one time that rules have stopped Halt," Pauline said, smiling proudly. "He'll do what needs to be done, and if there's a law in the way, then he'll break it, dammit!"

Hannah laughed. "Sounds like most of us Rangers, actually."

"You'd be surprised how many diplomats fit the bill too. Anyways, do you know why Halt wanted you along?"

"Yes."

Pauline was polite enough not to press the matter, although Hannah could tell she wanted to.

"I'll let you know when we leave, then?"

"That's fine. I'll pack provisions."

* * *

The day that Pauline had decided to leave on was clear and sunny. Hannah, who was wearing her regular Ranger's uniform, quietly checked Maya's harness before mounting Star. She would switch horses each morning of the eight day ride. The horse she wasn't riding could carry all of their camping supplies. In all, it would be a party of five- Hannah, Pauline, and three mounted guards; one archer and two knights.

Hannah nudged her horse into an easy walk, then reconsidered. She leaned forward instead. "Gee-yip!" she shouted. Star galloped down the path, with Aridiamaia following close behind. Hannah grinned like an idiot. She had done this at least a hundred times, but it never got old.

She finally slowed down once she got to the edge of the castle clearing. Hannah could see Pauline's escort riding in the distance. She settled her horse down to wait.


	27. More or Less

After a long seven and a half days of riding, the group was almost at the spot where they would meet the Aridian and Skandian delegations to negotiate.

"I need to change before we go any further," Hannah said.

"You aren't just going to wear your Ranger uniform?" Pauline asked, surprised.

"Of course not." Hannah slipped of Star, who she was riding, and led Maya over away from the group. She pulled the saddle bags, all except for one, off the horse's back and attached them to Star's saddle. The one left on Maya she opened. Inside was a long, flowing white dress with a matching keffiyah embroidered in gold. There was also a simple circlet that would form a small 'v' on her forehead when she wore it, and sandals that laced up above her ankles. Hannah slipped the dress on over her leggings and sleeveless wool top. She let her hair out of the tight bun that it was in and let it fall down her back. Before they left Araluen, she had re-dyed it to its natural black shade, and the effect was striking against the white gown. Stuffing the rest of her clothes back into the saddle bag, she put the crown on her head and covered it with the keffiyah. She would remove the covering later- for now it would keep the dust out of her eyes. She also touched up her make-up a little, using it to make her appear older than she was. It was a trick that had worked very well in the past.

"Okay, here's how this is going to work," Hannah said as she returned to the group. "I will stay off to the side, mostly out of sight. You negotiate. You want a troop of 100 archers, plus 350 swordsman, mounted or otherwise. I don't care. I'll stay out of the way unless they refuse to pledge aid. If the Aridian isn't the Emrikir, I can easily convince them to change their mind. If it is the Emrikir, we'll just have to pray he agrees. Got it?"

Pauline nodded. "Are you going to say that you are one of their people?"

"Yeah, more or less."


	28. Skandian Negotiation

Hannah melted into the shadows as she and Pauline approached the meeting place. Aridiamaia, who she was riding, gave a low nicker that was echoed by Star. Straining her eyes, Hannah could make out figures huddles around a small fire. She saw Halt, Will, and Horace talking to a slim girl that Hannah didn't recognize. She didn't look Aridian, and she definitely wasn't a Skandian. There were two men who looked big enough to knock a bull over with there pinky fingers, and a few people wearing Aridian robes. Hannah recognized Ab dal'an among them, and was surprised to find that she was a little bit happy to see him.

"Good afternoon!" Pauline greeted, following with the customary lips-forehead-lips greeting used by the Aridians. Halt nodded, seemingly unaffected, although Hannah knew better. Will and Horace smiled, the Skandians grunted, and the girl rose to curtsy. Ab dal'an and his escort returned her gesture.

With the formalities finished, the group settled in for what promised to be a long debate. Until Halt spoke. "I think we might as well get everyone's name here before we start."

"I'm Lady Pauline DuLacy of the Araluen Diplomatic Corps," he woman started.

"Halt, Ranger."

"I'm Will, his apprentice."

"Horace Altman, battleschool apprentice."

"Cassandra, Princess and heir to the thrown of Araluen."

"Oberjarl Erak," one of the men grunted with typical Skandian diplomacy.

"Svengal," said the other.

"I am Ab dal'an, the current Aridian heir. With me is a couple members of the Aridian guard- for safety on the trip, you understand."

 _Sure,_ Hannah thought. _You totally didn't bring them because you're afraid of the Skandians._

With that, the negotiations actually started. Oberjarl Erak explained that their land was under attack by the Temujai, and that they had already beaten them once. Their pride wounded, they had been spotted re-grouping for another, larger attack. This time, they would be prepared for Halt and Will's arrow corps. They needed to match them with sheer numbers, and only the Aridian cavalry could compare to their mounted warriors.

"So you are asking for a force of our own archers to combat a force that does not threaten us?" Ab dal'an asked. Hannah grinned at his bluff. The Temujai were a HUGE threat to Arrida- and she knew Halt knew it.

"Bluffing only works if your opponent doesn't know you're doing it," Halt said, sliding a map across the table. "I have it on good authority that your north-eastern border has been harassed by these archers continuously." Ab dal'an frowned.

"Very well. But our north-western border has been harassed by these seamen continuously."

 _He's getting better at this,_ Hannah thought. She would step in once Pauline landed her proposal.

"Which is the reason you should consider this. A force of 200 archers and 150 mounted cavalry, joined with the 100 knights Araluen will be sending and the Skandians already committed, the Temujai would be decimated. In addition to this, Erak is willing to discourage raiding in Arrida."

"I see the benefit, but unfortunately will have to decline," Ab dal'an said grandly. Hannah rolled her eyes, flipping the Kefiyah off of her head. She had untacked Maya completely while she waited, and now was mounted bareback. With her royal gown and circlet, she was quite an imposing figure. Hannah saw Halt grin beneath his cowl as she rode out from behind the rocks she had found as shelter.

"To the contrary, I would find this proposal quite pleasing," she said, using the Aridian accent she had been born with. The two guards Ab dal'an had brought knelt down, and the dignitary gaped at her. Hannah swung gracefully to the ground and bowed to the Araluens and Skandians.

"Thank you for your excellent proposal. I will be in Skandia with the troops you requested by the week's end."


	29. Left in the Dust

Hannah took a deep breath before continuing over the hill. She knew she was doing the right thing, no matter how difficult it was to do. Without the aid of Aridian troops, the Temujai forces would decimate the Skandian army, leaving them a clear path to invade Araluen. If that happened, the country didn't stand a chance. The Temujai cavalry was far more advanced than the Araluen one, and they had no respect for the lives of their troops. It would be a bloody battle on both sides, but while Araluen would play conservatively, trying to avoid excessive bloodshed, the Temuj would deploy all of their men; if they died, they would be replaced by another. Horses and men were replaceable.

With those thoughts in mind, Hannah nudged Maya's side. The golden mare shot forward, galloping easily through the thick sand. Hannah had left Star with Halt; sturdy and athletic as the Ranger horse was, she wouldn't be able to match Maya's pace in the dessert. After all, Aridiamaia had been born to run.

Hannah leaned onto her mare's neck, watching the dunes fly by. It was a beautiful day in the dessert, the sky clear and blue. There was a slight breeze, enough to cool her face, but not to create a sand storm. As much as she loved Araluen, Hannah missed the dessert scenery.

After a few minutes of freedom, Hannah heard a shout in the distance. Turning around, she saw Ab dal'an and his guards slow their horses to a trot, struggling to keep up with her pace. Hannah smiled. Being in the Ranger corps had kept her horses in shape. The Aridians rode one of the few breeds that had the potential to outrun a Ranger. That meant that they could outrun pretty much everyone else. Because of this, they never tried to increase their horse's stamina, only keep it constant. That was the difference between Rangers and Aridians. Even though they had, by far, the best horses around, Rangers kept training. Why not make the best better?

It took three minutes for Ab dal'an and his escort to catch up. The horses were walking now, their sides heaving. "Your honor, you shouldn't go off on your own like that," one of the guards admonished. Hannah raised her eyebrows. He wasn't of sufficient rank to give orders to a princess, and since she needed troops she might as well start exercising her power.

"Is that so?" she asked. "I apologize. Fortunately, I can take care of myself as well as guard can. Probably better, judging by the last time I watched you all practice."

Ab dal'an coughed. "Perhaps that's not fair, Ayishah." Hannah grimaced internally at hearing her "real" name. "After all, the last time you were here was a good 6 years ago."

"That's not true, actually," Hannah corrected him. "A year and a half ago I came here to find a horse. While I was in the area, I stopped by the palace to visit some old friends of mine. While I was there, the guard was outside drilling. Absolutely horrendous back-flick parries."

Ab dal'an pursed his lips, no doubt mad that Hannah had gotten the last word.

The Emriker's castle was huge- bigger than she remembered. It loomed above the dessert. Around it sprawled a typical Aridian village, made to look out of place by the huge castle. The fortress hadn't been built by Aridians; hundreds of years ago, Arrida had been invaded by the Galls, the same group that settled modern-day Gallica. As a part of their conquest, the Galls had created the huge castle. Shortly after it's construction was finished, a group of Aridian rebels had taken the fortress, effectively ending the Gallic rule in Arrida.

Once again reminding herself of her mission, Hannah nudged Maya towards the main gate. The horse hesitated, glancing back at her rider. Aridiamaia, like all horses, was able to read her rider's body language. She could tell that Hannah was hesitant, making the horse afraid to continue. Hannah took another deep breath, trying to convince herself to go on- and then the guard, the same one who had reprimanded her, convinced her.

"Horse a bit skittish? I'll lead."

"I don't think that will be necessary," Hannah said coldly. She didn't appreciate the (incorrect) judgement of her mount. Fueled by the injustice of that remark, Hannah trotted her horse into the city. She had chosen her pace carefully. A fast trot allowed her to show off the horse she was riding, and showed a sense of purpose. However, it also allowed people to see who she was, and gave them time to gossip with their friends before she passed. By the time she got the castle, Hannah wanted the entire town to know that Ayishah, heir to the throne of Arrida, had arrived at the castle.


	30. Choose

"1,000. Any less, and we might as well just stay home."

"I don't see how this benefits Aridia, Ayishah. What would we get out of this?"

" _You_ would have a powerful ally in Araluen. They have a large influence over trade in their region; one that could bring more Aridian products to global markets, allowing for greater prosperity within the merchant class of your country."

"I'll send 500."

"With all due respect, Emrikir, I'm asking you only as a matter of consideration. I have full power to deploy troops myself under the Law of the Dessert."

"And I, Ayishah, have full power to forbid you."

"I've already disobeyed you once Father. I'll do it again."

Seley el'then was silent, thinking over what Hannah had said.

"Very well. 1000 men. But you are responsible for the organization of the whole mission. Before you leave, I expect a written action plan detailing the logistical side of transportation, preparation, and implementation."

Hannah smiled. "Is that all, Emrikir?" she asked.

Her father nodded. Hannah knew that he knew that she, at one point in time, would not have been able to come up with the needed plan in any period of time. Hannah also knew that he didn't know something else. Something very important.

"Here it is, Emrikir. We leave at dawn tomorrow." Hannah slid a stack of papers across the table. Of course she had planned ahead. It was only natural for a commander to expect some sort of assurance that the person he was entrusting his troops to was capable of leading them. Plus, Crowley had impressed upon her that Rangers never went into battle without a plan if they wanted to remain Rangers. Likewise, commanders didn't abide by the plan too strictly if it wasn't working, if they wanted to remain alive. It was all about finding the balance. Put in the work beforehand, and be able to act and plan in the moment, and you were good to go.

Seley el'then looked at her, then carefully picked up the papers. He began flipping through them. Hannah could see that his expression was one of disbelief. The handwriting was obviously hers, but he couldn't believe that she had created the plans. Finally, hesitation written on his face, Selethen nodded. "Very well," he said. "You may go. However, you must realize that you cannot command the troops of two countries. When you come back, I will expect you to stay."

Hannah remained silent for a few moment. "Emrikir, you must realize that I am not Ayishah, not anymore. I am not the girl who left Arrida 6 years ago. I am the princess, yes, and the heir to the throne. But I am not Ayishah."

"Then you must not expect me to treat you like her. I will reiterate, once you return you must remain."


	31. Any More Obvious

Hannah crested the hill, an army of Aridians behind her. She had made her choice.

Holding her arm up, she signaled for them to stop. A quick survey of the land below her revealed a small town, surrounded by a wooden fence. A gate opened to the sea, where at least 20 ships were docked. Another entrance led to the main road, which Hannah's men were using to travel.

"Stay here," she shouted to the column.

Hannah swung down from Maya. Carefully, she glided through the shadows. Once she was about halfway to the main gate, Hannah glanced back at her men. She grinned under her cloak. At least half of them were struggling to follow her path. The other half just looked asleep.

Turning to the gate, Hannah noticed a Skandian sentry, oblivious to the army above him. She smiled. _Time to make them a little more careful,_ she thought.

Hannah went through the gate, careful to keep in the shadows. The guard still didn't notice her. _This is going to be fun,_ she thought. Ducking into the gatehouse, she started to draw her bow, planning to put an arrow through the ceiling to teach him about caution. Then she realized that she hadn't been the first to do so. A long, black arrow was visible between the guard's shoulder blades. Hannah bent down to inspect it. It was similar to the arrows used by the Ranger corps, but less advanced. Hannah remembered something that Crowley had told her about the Rangers borrowing bow making techniques from the Temuj tribes.

 _Crap. This was recent, too-the blood is still fresh. And someone was careful to make sure he looked like he was on duty._

Behind her, Hannah heard a quiet rustle, followed by a small click. Instinct and the familiarity of the sound caused her to duck. A second later there was another arrow through the dead guard. Hannah spun around. The archer was nocking another arrow. Thankfully, Hannah's bow had already been nocked. The two archers pulled back to full draw at the same time, then released. The Temuj's arrow never made it off his bow; he had nocked it too high, and the arrow hung uselessly from the bowstring. Hannah's shot was perfect, straight through the man's right shoulder. She slung her bow over her shoulder and sprinted the 10 feet to the Temuj warrior. Using her saxe knife, she cut his bowstring and used it to tie his arms to his body.

"Are there any more of you here?" the Ranger growled. Her cowl was still up- the warrior couldn't see her face. He had no idea that a girl was pinning him to the ground. Maybe if he would have known that, he would have been less scared. Temporarily, at least. Hannah generally reacted badly to men who underestimated her.

Terrified though he was, the man didn't answer. Hannah picked him up by his collar and started dragging him towards the army on top of the hill.

"N-no. I'm the only one," he grunted.

"You sure about that."

"Y-yes."

Hannah used her saxe knife to cut the man's sleeve off. "I don't think so."

"Th-there was one more…" the man said nervously. Hannah raised her eyebrows. "But- but he left already. He's gone."

"How long gone?"

"A-at least 4 hours."

"He better be," Hannah remarked. She glanced up the hill. "Ay!" she shouted. One of the guards glanced over, then looked at her, alarmed. "Nice of you to take an interest in the proceedings. Can I have a hand?" The guard nodded nervously.

"Hold him here. If he moves anything larger than a finger, shoot him," she instructed the guard once he had made his way down the hill. "The rest of you, get off the path. Just come inside the walls here. No need to be any more obvious than you already are."


	32. Prepare and Beware

"Of course I checked. He really had been gone for hours," Hannah assured Halt and Will.

"Alright. Let's get those Aridians loaded up," the older Ranger replied. Part of the groups plan had been to conceal the soldiers on the Skandian ships until they were needed. As Hannah had told her troops earlier, no need to be any more obvious than you already are.

"Will, make sure that scout doesn't go anywhere. If he moves a muscle, shoot him," Halt continued.

Will nodded. "Got it, Halt."

Once the soldiers had been assigned to boats, Hannah rejoined the rest of the group in Oberjarl Erak's meeting hall. Glancing around, she recognized Halt, Will, Horace, Cassandra, Svengal, and Erak.

"Quite the group here," she remarked.

"I'll say," Erak tried (and failed) to say quietly. "Never thought we'd resort to diplomacy, eh, Svengal?"

"Ay, so long as are boys get to swing their axes too."

"Oh, you'll have your chance all right," Will assured them. "Remember the plan. Hannah, Halt or I will keep watch for the Temuj at all times. Once we see the main force coming, we'll assemble a rag-tag band of sea wolves to wait for them. You should have plenty of time to 'swing your axes' at them while the Aridians move into place."

"Yes, you'll have to hold them off for a solid five minutes before I can get any backup in."

"Wouldn't it be easier to just have them stand with us to begin with?" Erak asked, hopelessly confused.

"Easier, yes. But safer, no," Halt answered.

"We need them to think they've already won," Cassandra added. "If they see the Aridians as soon as they arrive, they'll launch a larger attack. The element of surprise will be lost."

"Guess that makes sense," Erak grudgingly conceded.

"Once they figure out how to counteract the Aridian's ground tactics, I'll have the archers start shooting from the ships. That should give them a bit of a surprise seeing to it that they think we're out of archers."

Halt nodded appreciatively. "How many archers did you bring?"

"None," Hannah smiled. "But I've got 250 who can use a crossbow. And three Rangers. That should be enough."

"Form up! Be ready! Time to send them packing, boys!" Erak shouted. Hannah had just spotted a group of Temuj approaching from the coast. They had travelled by ship as far as they could, and then continued on foot. Halt was watching the main force to make sure no smaller parties broke off the ambush them. Wil was re-checking the perimeter of the city to make sure that the walls were sound, while a group of sea wolves fortified the gate leading to the main road.

"No need to give them two ways in," Svengal had remarked.

In the distance, Hannah heard a horn. They were preparing to attack. Will made his way over to the archer's fortifications and nodded at her. They had agreed to keep up the pretext of having a Skandian archery force; it would work in their favor to let the Temuj think they were desperate enough to keep using the same trick. In reality, Will, Cassandra- Evanlyn, Hannah corrected herself- and Horace were the only ones behind the barricades. Evanlyn could hold her own with a sling, Will was a Ranger (enough said there) and Horace could hold off anyone who managed to get close enough to do any damage. Meanwhile, Halt would stay on high ground with Erak and Svengal, overseeing the battle. Hannah would wait with the Aridian troops, hidden in plain sight thanks to her cloak.

From the lean-to she had made from crates and a mast draped with ropes, Hannah watched the Temuj cavalry advance. They seemed to be using the same tactics Halt had described from their last attack. They galloped in, struck with a sword, and galloped back. Hannah was happy to see the Skandians holding their own. She gave the Temujai four more passes, wincing as the screams of wounded horses made themselves heard. After the fourth pass, Hannah raised a horn to her lips and blew three quick notes. Half of the foot soldiers, about 300 men, rushed onto the field. The leader of the final squadron carried a horn. He was to act out the role of commander. No need to make the Temuj come looking for her.

With the Aridian men behind them, the remaining Temujai horsemen were trapped. Hannah knew that they had sent over half of their horsemen already in an attempt to secure a quick victory. _Halt was right,_ she thought. _They were scared. Last time, they did fine in the beginning but the repeated strikes took a toll on their numbers. They want to avoid a drawn-out battle. Unfortunately, so do we._

With the last of the horsemen taken care of, the Aridians melted into the Skandian lines. Hannah was happy to see that, despite never having drilled together, the men accepted each other into their ranks, creating a joint Skandian-Aridian force. They were stronger this way, with the Skandians spaced throughout the Aridian army rather than all bunched up together.

Hannah watched as the Temuj re-assembled their ranks. A general was frantically running back and forth down the lines, no doubt trying to counteract the new tactics that they were faced with. Hannah grinned. She had been counting on that. She was also counting on the Temuj having no idea what the Aridian tactics were.

Hannah watched as the Temuj charged. She held her breath, hoping that the men on the field took her advice. The Temujai force met the Skandian line of defense, and the sea wolves immediately rushed in to fight. The Aridians did the same, engaging their attackers in hand-to-hand combat. Fighting as individuals. Hannah smiled again. They were much stronger when they fought as a team. But the Temujai weren't idiots. They had one chance and one chance only to secure a lead in this battle. While the initial strike retreated, another, larger attack force was forming up. The first one had merely been a test, to see how the enemy fought. Which was exactly why Hannah had told her men to abandon the discipline they prided themselves on. The only way to defeat a team was to concentrate your attack on one area, and force a hole in the defense. If you were fighting individuals, on the other hand, it made sense to spread the attack evenly.

Hannah blew a long note on her horn. The Aridians squared their shoulders, standing in a line as they waited for the army of Temujai to reach them. The attack force crashed into the defense wall… and stopped. Expecting to be met with individual resistance, the wall of Aridian swords was too much to overcome. Hannah stopped watching the battle and kept her eyes trained on Halt and Erak. Halt was watching the distance. After a minute or so, he turned and said something to Erak.

"Round two! On guard! HIT THEM HARD BOYS!" the Oberjarl shouted. Hannah almost laughed aloud. The Skandian had relayed Halt's message to her load and clear; then added one to his own troops, loud _er_ and clear _er_.

In response to Halt's message, Hannah blew two long notes on her horn, and stepped out of the lean-to. The second wave of attackers was on the way. Below the deck, portholes opened and arrows began to appear inside them. Crossbowmen placed their bows on the oar rests. And no one from the Temuj army noticed. Hannah let the second wave of soldiers meet the Aridian lines, and watched as her soldiers "retreated" under the pressure.

"STAND YOUR GROUND!" Erak shouted. Hannah blew her horn again. She and Erak had discussed tactics, and had made some plans. 'Stand your ground' meant that there was a third wave on the way, and that it was time for the troops to stop pretending to be overcome. It was also time for the arrows to start flying. Hannah raised her bow, as 250 Aridians did the same. Half of them aimed for the troops already near the front line. The others trained their crossbows on the two groups of approaching Temujai. This attack would decimate the Temuj forces.

Except for one problem. Up on the hillside, Hannah saw one of the commanders glance over at the boat. His surprised look told its own story. Hannah cursed silently to herself, and changed her aim to the general. As he was raising his arm to point to the boat, a long, black arrow hit his side. Apparently Will had noticed his reaction too. Hannah saw him slipping through the shadows, making his way back to the archer's mounds. _Thank you, Will,_ she thought. _My aim is good, but even I can't guarantee that shot from this distance._

Hannah loosed a few dozen arrows into the battle. When she reached for her fourth quiver, she heard a soft voice behind her.

"Keep shooting," it said. "Don't give the command post any reason to worry. They know you're here now. They're planning on sending the remaining men to storm the boats," Will said.

"Good to know," Hannah sighed. "I suppose we should end this quickly. Cause some chaos?"

"Agreed," Will said. Hannah could hear the smile in his voice. "How do you think they would react to all of their generals being killed by a couple shadows?"

"Oh, I think that's a bit too easy. How about them dropping dead on their own accord?"

"The short arrows."

"Oh yeah," Hannah said. "I've been wanting to try them out." Before she had left for Arrida, Crowley had given her a quiver full of prototype arrows. They were smaller than the usual Ranger arrows, and were short enough that they would nearly disappear into a target. Unless someone knew to look for them, it would be a while before they were discovered.

"I'll head up to talk to Halt," Hannah said. "That shouldn't be too abnormal."

"Great. They don't know I'm here, so I'll meet you behind the rock," Will agreed, nodding to a large stone behind the general's hill. Hannah left the ship, making sure to look like she was trying to conceal herself. In reality she was east to see. And she was seen.

 _This way when I'm actually trying to conceal myself they'll be even less likely to notice me,_ she thought.

After only a couple minutes, Hannah reached Halt.

"Hey. Don't worry about it now, but the Temuj commanders are about to be killed by a ghost," Hannah warned the older Ranger.

Halt raised an eyebrow. "I suppose that will because of two very substantial apprentices," he guessed.

"Wow. How did you ever guess?" Hannah asked sarcastically.

"You know…" Halt started.

"Yep. I know. See you later!"

It wasn't hard to get behind the Temujai lines. By this point, they were too focused on the battle they were losing to think about someone trying to force their way inside. Especially two Rangers who didn't need to force their way inside.

Once Hannah and Will were in position, it wasn't hard to pick the generals off either. They were used to being feared and respected by both their men and their enemies. It never occurred to them that someone might dare to get close enough to kill them.

The fact that they couldn't see any arrows on the victims helped too.

With the generals gone, the Temuj fell into a state of chaos. They couldn't fight without a leader, and they had no idea what had killed their leaders. In short, they were terrified. As she made her way back to the Skandian city, Hannah could hear panicked remarks about the Skandians who died in the last Temujai invasion coming back to get their revenge. Soon, these rumors were all over the army.

"They'll believe anything," Will said as he materialized behind her. Hannah smiled.

"I guess you are short enough to pass as a Temuj," she teased.

"Hey, at least I'm not too tall to pass as a Ranger," he joked.


	33. Going Up?

"Halt. I have to tell you something," Hannah said timidly.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Before I could bring the troops here, I had to make a promise," Hannah said. "I- I have to go back. And stay."

"You never _have_ to do anything."

"If I don't go, Selethen will cease all diplomatic relations and trade with Araluen."

"Good to know. I'll stock up on coffee before he realizes you aren't going back," Halt said grimly.

"Halt… I can't stay. You know that."

The ranger nodded sadly. "You can stay, you just are too smart to. He would find you anyways."

"Can you tell Crowley-" Hannah stopped, unable to continue. "I might never see you again," she whispered.

"Don't be so sure. We Rangers tend to get around," Halt said. "Especially to visit one of our own."

He pulled his oakleaf off his neck, and handed it to Hannah.

"I know I'm not technically your mentor but technicalities have never stopped me before. You've earned this."

"Take care of Star for me. She won't be able to handle the deep sand in Arrida."

"I'll do that," Halt nodded. "Be careful," he added, giving her a quick hug.

"Goodbye," she said sadly, mounting her mare. The Ranger just nodded, his face hidden by the cowl.

On the way back, Hannah rode near the back of the Aridians. She was wearing her Ranger cloak, despite the heat. Hannah had left her saddle and bridle with Halt. She preferred to ride without them; anyways, they both were Aridian. She had to go back, but she was determined to act like an Araluen. She had meant it when she said she wasn't the princess anymore. She was a Ranger, and the silver oakleaf she now wore proved it.

Every now and then, one of the guards would come check on her. She answered them as a friend. It wasn't their fault that she was in Arrida. No need to treat them like it was.

Finally, the Aridian castle came into view. Hannah sighed, relieved. The cloak was getting hot. The commander of the infantrymen approached the guards at the gate. After they had conversed for a minute or so, a shout rang our along the troops.

"Make way for the Princess!" it said. Hannah didn't move. A few seconds late, "The Princess!"

Hannah remained stock still. The men beside her began to whisper to each other. Soon, the entire column was talking.

"Ranks in order!" yelled the commander. The men quieted immediately.

"Make way for Ayisha el'then, heir to the throne of Arrida!" the herald tried, one last time.

"Please welcome Hannah Berrigan, a Ranger," came a voice from behind the guard. Surprised, Hannah saw Ab dal'an walking towards the troops. Appreciating his understanding, Hannah nudged her horse forward. She halted as soon as she reached the front of the line.

"Dismount, and be welcomed to my country!" Ab dal'an said, speaking as though she was a foreigner instead of the Emrikir's daughter. Only a foreigner would need to be invited to dismount.

Hannah slid off her horse and walked towards the gate, Maia following her. She paused in front of Ab dal'an to remove her cowl and bow. He returned the gesture with the traditional Aridian greeting.

"The Emrikir will want to speak with you," he said quietly.

"I'll bear that in mind," Hannah returned. "Would you care to show me to my rooms?"

Ab dal'an smiled, shaking his head slightly. "Perhaps we should put your horse in the stables first."

"Oh, I don't know. I've always wanted to see what she thinks of stairs!"

Ab dal'an grinned mischievously. "I suppose that would be a useful bit of information," he conceded. "This way, my lady!"

Hannah followed him into the entrance hall, Aridiamaia's hooves clicking on the tile. She took a left, through a small door, and began walking up a flight of stairs. Maia hesitated at the bottom, unsure whether she was supposed to continue. Hannah clucked her tongue, and she realized that she was. Ab dal'an laughed as the horse began walking up the stairs.

"She's very coordinated," he noted.

"Yes. We tend to look for that in a Ranger horse."

"I bet."

The odd trio made it up the stairs, and into another huge hallway. Right as they were passing the Emrikir's private chamber, Hannah's horse stopped. And lifted her tail. And left a neat pile of manure right in front of the door.

"Someone is going to have to clean that up," Ab dal'an said. "And it's not going to be me."

"I'll do it, after Selethen realizes it's there," Hannah said. Maia looked proud of herself.

"Then he's really going to want to talk with you," Ab dal'an said, worry in his voice.

"Let him. He'll have to find me first."

"As soon as you leave the castle, he'll take it out on Araluen."

"I won't leave."

"He'll find you!"

"Ever seen a Ranger at work?" Hannah asked.

Ab dal'an shook his head.

"Well, me neither," Hannah said. "And I lived with one."

Ab dal'an looked confused.

"When a Ranger is working, you don't see them," Hannah elaborated. "The first time you notice them, it's already too late."


	34. Reconnaissance

"We need to find her," Hannah heard Selethen say to Ab dal'an. She grinned, hearing Halt's words in her head. _It's amazing how seldom people look up_.

"Emrikir, I have looked everywhere for her!" _Everywhere except UP._

"Talk to the guards. They should have noticed if a Ranger exited the castle," the Emrikir commanded. "They also should have alerted me, but perhaps they were... otherwise persuaded."

 _Niiice. He's got them watching me- or trying to at least. Pathetic. He thinks that I would just waltz out? I would disguise myself, probably as a servant. A washerwoman. And I definitely wouldn't bribe them to keep quiet. I wouldn't need to. They wouldn't know I was there._

 _"_ I'll go talk to the guards now," Ab dal'an remarked as he exited the room.

 _I really should have found a more comfortable spike,_ Hannah thought as he left. She had "borrowed" some climbing spikes from the armory. While they may be fine to rest your weight on for a few seconds, standing on them for hours on end was tiring. _I think I'm wearing a hole in my shoe. Hopefully Selethen decides to leave soon. It's about time he went and got lunch..._

"Well, I might as well get out a bit. It'll take Ab dal'an at least half an hour to talk to the guards," the Emrikir murmured, stretching at his desk. Hannah stayed completely still. As the door closed, she counted to 10 and then jumped down. Once safely on the ground, she pulled the climbing spikes out and headed after him. Her hand touched the doorknob, and she listened carefully. Hearing nothing, she opened it and stepped outside. She closed the door, and ran, silently and swiftly, to her room.

* * *

"It wasn't me, was it? It wasn't ever me."

Hannah jumped. She had been expecting her room to be empty. Instead, there was Ab dal'an sitting on her bed, looking anxious and worried.

"It... What?" Hannah asked, genuinely confused.

"When you left... You, you didn't leave..."

"Get the whole sentence out and maybe I'll be able to tell what you're talking about," Hannah said, trying desperately not to snap at him.

"You- You don't hate me, do you?"

"No... No, I don't _hate_ you. I just don't-"

"You don't like me."

"No! Not exactly. I just don't want to marry _anyone_ at the moment."

"Me neither, particularly."

"Then _say_ something!" Hannah said in exasperation.

"To _who_?"

"Selethen!"

"What am I supposed to say to him? I don't have any power around here!"

"I don't either. The entire time I've been here, I've said nothing about how I've felt, right?"

"Yes, but-"

"I've still gotten the point across, haven't I?"

"Yes... But I can't just disappear. I have nowhere to hide outside the castle."

"Do you seriously think I left the castle?"

"I-I don't know where else you would have been."

"You've looked everywhere for me, have you not?"

"I thought so."

"You're going to talk to the guards now, aren't you?"

"What? How-"

"I suppose you think that I have 'otherwise persuaded' them to keep their mouths shut? Because that is a load of crap if I ever heard one."

"You... you were... outside? The whole time?"

"No, Ab dal'an. I was inside. The whole time."

"No. No, I would have noticed you."

"Tell me, did you ever look _up_?"

"Brilliant," he said, sounding impressed.

"If you tell Sel-"

"I'm not telling him anything except that no one saw anything. Who do you think I am?"

"A loyal subject."

"I suppose so. At one point in time."

"Not anymore?" Ab dal'an didn't answer right away.

"Did you ever talk to him? Before you ran away?"

"Yes. He didn't listen. He thought he knew what was best for me, and no matter what I said, he ignored me."

"He told me he had no idea why you would have left. I think he was afraid to put the blame on himself."

"He put it on you instead?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry."

"Why? You did what you thought you needed to."

Hannah nodded sadly. "I wish I could have pulled it off without hurting anyone else."

"I think that this time, you can."

"What do you mean, this time?"

"You can't stay here. I can tell you hate it."

"I can't exactly leave either. It's not worth creating diplomatic tensions between Araluen and Arrida."

"I don't think he would let it go that far."

"I do. He's mad, Ab dal'an. Mad at me, and mad at the country that sheltered me."

"What if I told him that I suggested you escape? That I was afraid I would have to marry you?"

"Ab dal'an, no offense, but you're a terrible liar."

"And you're a terrible house guest. You haven't even thanked your host once!" he said, lighthearted.

"Point taken," Hannah laughed. "But I still don't think that would work. It would need some lead up. You would need to talk to him way before I even thought about leaving. Set the stage, so to speak. And the fact remains, you can't lie."

"I wouldn't need to. I honestly don't want to marry you right now. I like you, but I don't want you to fell forced, which I know you do."

"As long as you can do it without giving any sign that you talked to me beforehand, it might work."

"It'll have to."


	35. One Riot, One Ranger

"I know you're here somewhere," Hannah heard Ab dal'an say. "Don't worry- I'm alone."

Slowly, Hannah climbed down from the rafters of the kitchen, where she had been hiding.

"How did it go?"

"I, uh, didn't get a chance. There's someone here to see you."

"Who?"

"I don't know. He didn't give a name."

"What does he look like?"

"Not sure there either. Short. I couldn't see his face. He had some sort of keffiyah on."

"Was he, by chance, wearing green?"

"I think so... It might have been brown though... or grey..."

Hannah grinned. "Lead the way."

Ab dal'an led her through the passageways, leading up from the kitchen and into the main hall. Hannah expected him to turn and go up the stairs leading to the throne room, where Selethen greeted guests. Instead, he led her towards the guard tower. They climbed up the stairs to the top of the drawbridge, and Ab dal'an gestured for her to look down. In front of the bridge, a short man in a cowled cloak stood talking to the Emrikir.

"Crowley!" Hannah called down.

"Oh, hi!" he called to her. Then he glanced behind him. "Oh, where are my manners! I forgot to introduce the rest of the party!"

As he said that, men seemed to materialize out of thin air. Some came from the village, some from the dunes, others seemingly from the earth itself. They were all wearing green, and Hannah recognized every single one of them.

"I thought the saying was one riot, one ranger!" she called.

"Yes, well, we already had one ranger at this riot. Generally, when a problem is too big for one ranger, it takes the other 49 to get the job done."

"Where did you all come from?" Selethen asked, trying desperately to control his surprise.

"Araluen!" Crowley answered cheerfully. "If you would sign this, please, we'll be on our way back."

Scanning the document, Selethen nodded, obviously not trusting himself to speak.

"Looks like I might not need to say anything to him after all," Ab dal'an said quietly.

"No, I don't think you will. Good old Crowley," Hannah smiled.

"What are you doing up there?" Crowley called. "Get your horse! We need to be getting back! The couriers are quite competent, but I don't want to leave them in charge of national security for too long!"

The full volume of Crowley's words finally sunk in, and Selethen opened his mouth to protest. "Wait a moment. I don't think-"

"You're not ready to think," came a gruff voice from behind Crowley.

"I never-"

"Agreed to this? Yes you did!" Crowley said, waving the paper in front of him. "You signed it!"

"That was a trade agreement! You made me agree to never cut diplomatic relations or cease coffee trade with Araluen." Hannah laughed. Of course coffee would have been on the rangers' minds when writing that agreement.

"Oh! My bad! Come on, Halt, you should have said something! Your honor, I forgot to have you read the front!"

Selethen took the paper and began reading it, more carefully this time. Hannah saw his expression getting more and more desperate the further he got.

"I believe you will find it is legally binding and free of holes," said a woman's voice. Hannah glanced over to see Alyss Mainwaring riding out from behind a sand dune, wearing the robes of a courier. "After all, George and Nigel never wrote anything that wasn't."

"Well, I'm glad we're in agreement," Crowley said enthusiastically, rubbing his hand together. "I'll help our youngest Ranger get packed up!"


End file.
